Central Western Daily journalist Nicole Kuter continues her tale from Saturday night at The Occidental Hotel.
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In part two of the series she writes about the techniques staff use to pick someone who had enough to drink, the culture of home-drinking and how much people spend on a night out.
PEOPLE struggle to pay their electricity bills, charities are stretched and people are going without to pay the rent but for young men in Orange, spending $400 on alcohol is just an average weekend.
Men at the Occidental Hotel in Orange said they spend anywhere between $300 and $400 on an average night out.
Drinks cost up to $14, that’s about 28 drinks per person per night.
The money was justified according to patrons because there is nothing else to do on a Saturday night.
Adam Soar said he would spend a minimum of $200.
“It’s nothing really, “ Mr Soar said.
“What else are you going to do?
“We only go out really about once a month so it’s not so bad.”
He said the price of alcohol was exorbitant but if the price was higher he would still pay it.
Young women pre-drink at home to combat the price of alcohol.
Women out on Saturday night said they drank up to a bottle of wine or four pre-mixed spirit drinks and one woman [Shellie Sparke] said she drank a whole bucket of alcohol containing a range of different spirits as part of a drinking game.
The women said they pre- drink before hitting the town because they can’t afford to drink at the pub.
Ms Sparke said she pre-drinks because The Occidental Hotel closes at about 3am and she can’t afford to buy drink the whole night.
She said she generally stays out until close.
“The Occidental Hotel is open the latest so we come here,” she said.
“Drinks are heaps too expensive.”
nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au