'All Manner of Freak Show': Michigan Haunt Among Best Bad-Decision Bars in America

Hamtramck’s Whiskey in the Jar is home to the Ratalope and “all manner of freak show” that make it one of America’s best bad-decision bars, according to Thrillist. (Photo via Facebook)

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Carrie Nation may be churning in her grave over the perceived oxymoron in the latest from Thrillist: the 27 Best Bad-Decision Bars in America.

The hatchet-wielding, saloon-smashing temperance crusader would have argued that no good decision comes from imbibing alcohol, so the choice to frequent a bar is by its very nature a bad decision.

Of course, she wasn’t the final arbiter of that, and the matter of the “great experiment” of government-regulated temperance was eventually settled by the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition.

Now it’s perfectly legal to go to a place “you’re guaranteed to do something stupid in,” Thrillist says. (Patch PSA: You might get arrested for it. All public intoxication and traffic laws still apply.)

A Michigan bar, Whiskey in the Jar at 2741 Yemans St. in Hamtramck, is among the notorious 27 bars that “wipe the floor with that bar” you’d take your mom to for Wednesday British comedy trivia.

“Actually, they probably never wipe the floor at all,” Thrillist says. “And while you might never know what that stickiness underfoot is, you do know that it – and the allure of cheap booze and neon lights – is keeping you there, and that the night ahead is going to be much more interesting as a result.”

Also on Patch:

• Is Thrillist’s Best Burger in Michigan Really the Best

Thrillist likes Whiskey in the Jar and in the past included it in its Christmas Day drinking guide, and on lists for the best dive bars in Hamtramck (yes, there are enough for a list) and in the Detroit area.

Here’s Thrillist’s latest light-hearted take on Whiskey in the Jar:

“Things escalate quickly in Hamtramck, a city within the city of Detroit. It all starts with the complimentary ‘Welcome to Hamtramck’ shot of Jezynowka and ends with you attempting to steal a bike you thought was yours even though you don’t own one – and with all manner of freak show in between. There is nary a dull moment at the Whiskey – even if it’s just you and the bartender.”

Whiskey in the Jar is the only Michigan bar on the list.