Drinks and Pirate Tales of Shipwreck Saloon

Synopsis

I first heard of Shipwreck Saloon in a Facebook ad, reposted by a good friend of mine from a long time ago. It advertised a night of drinking and pirate stories. I have been burned in the past by these types of pop-up bar nights. But after reading into the details I found out that this one offers 4 unique pirate drinks, and the price is only $45 a person. You can’t get that good of a price for 4 cocktails in most bars here in Vegas, so I decided we should go for it.

The location was a bit out of the way in downtown Vegas. It was an ordinary event center, but they did choose a good one for their event. Vaulted ceilings gave it a ship-like feeling, and the chandelier was pretty cool. They set up a stage with some pirate-like artifacts and had the chairs set up audience-style.

The drinks alternated nicely with the entertainment, which consisted of pirate stories from the “Ancestors of Captain Barton Black”. I don’t know whether or not the actors were descended from any pirates, but I was willing to suspend disbelief to have a good time. The stories were spooky, fun, and silly. As the drinks came and the audience became more inebriated, the entertainment followed along with it. First, there were stories, then silly songs and audience volunteer-type shows. One had contestants chugging warm beer, another had them twerking on the stage.

The Good

I figured we would get our money’s worth in the drinks alone, and I was not wrong. They were the best part of the show. I am posting the drink menu below to let you see what they were made of, but each one was more delicious than the last. The Mai Tai was amazing, fruity and fun. The last drink “Release The Kraken” was a desert drink, and tasted like chocolate milk but better. I wished I could have had twice as much!

The show was fun to watch, the stories well thought through, and the performers seemed to be having a good time. You’ve heard me say this before, My Readers, but the actors having fun with what they are doing can make or break a show for me. These actors had enthusiasm and their banter, while probably scripted, didn’t seem stale at all. They planned the show out well, making the acts involve less and less concentration as the audience drank more and more. The last ones had all of the intelligence of a frat party, but as most of the audience was as drunk as if they were at a frat party, it worked out.

The Bad

The stage was a bit small, but it was a pop-up, it isn’t going to look like a professional theater. My only real problem with this show was one of logistics and safety. They served an amphitheater full of people drinks, no water in sight, and no snacks to dilute the alcohol, and then released us into the world to drive home. The Dragon and I planned for this, with me giving her half of each of my drinks so I could get us home, but did everyone else? I know pirates didn’t care about drinking and driving, but modern-day ones should. I just wish they had a water cooler in the lobby, or a resting space or meet and greet for people to sober up.

Overall

This was a very fun night out! If this traveling show comes to your town, I would recommend it for a fun date night or friends’ night out. Dress as pirates if it will make your night more enjoyable, but no need to go buy a costume, no one really cares what you are wearing. There is no costume contest. Just go to drink, laugh, sing, and have a good time. But might be safer to take an Uber, cause no designated driver is going to want to miss out on these delicious drinks.
Thanks to our wonderful pirates for a fun night that was anything but a shipwreck.