What are these Whiskerías in town and the "Clubs" I see on the outskirts?
Question: What are these Whiskerías in town and the 'Clubs' I see on the outskirts?
Many cities in Spain have 'Whiskerias', nominally 'whiskey houses', but with so many seedy men going in and out of them, are you right in thinking that it's not the whiskey they're after?
Similarly, when driving between cities, you are likely to see a number of tacky neon signs saying 'Club', but where the clientele is more lonely truck drivers than youths on a night out.
Is this the place to stop for a quick dance when on the long haul from Madrid to Barcelona?
Answer: Some time ago, I was returning home alone after a night out in Salamanca with friends when I realized that I really wasn't ready for bed, so I popped into one of the whiskey houses between the downtown and home.
At least, that was what I presumed 'whiskería' to mean. A cafetería sells coffee (café), a cervecería sells beer (cerveza), a panadería sells bread (pan), so it seemed safe to assume that a 'whiskería' sells whiskey.
I pushed open the door, poked my head inside, and quickly disappeared out the door again. There didn't seem to be anyone drinking whiskey in there. Instead, there were five women looking very expectantly at me. Good-looking I may be(!), but I had quickly realized that this would only be my lucky night if I had been willing to pay.
Yes, you've guessed it: a 'whiskeria' is a brothel, or 'puticlub' in Spanish. This is where 'prostitutas' (or 'putas' in Spanish slang) can do their business without being hassled by the police.
In the two or three seconds I had been in there, I had seen enough. A man was being led into the downstairs area by a woman wearing far too much jewelry. The rest were just waiting (it was clearly a quiet night). The only people in the bar were the barman, five sex workers and a lonely man clearly too drunk to do anything with them.
Shocked though I was by what I had seen (I had really wanted a whiskey!), I hadn't felt intimidated. There was no burly doorman, no noticeable drug abuse, just a few women working in the oldest profession in the world and a barman working in perhaps the second oldest profession.
However, from now on I think I'll have my nightcaps at home.
The out-of-town version of the whiskeria is the Club. These specifically target the long-haul truck drivers who may get a bit lonely on the road. Some inner city brothels are also called 'clubs' too, but don't assume that any club in a city is a brothel. Two of my favorite nightclubs (the going-for-a-boogie discotheque variety) are called Nasti Club in Madrid and their sister club Nitsa Club in Barcelona - these are normal nightclubs which don't have a seedy side to them. Common sense will tell you if the club in question is what you are looking for or not. Usually if it just says 'Club', you'll probably want to stay away.
Many cities in Spain have 'Whiskerias', nominally 'whiskey houses', but with so many seedy men going in and out of them, are you right in thinking that it's not the whiskey they're after?
Similarly, when driving between cities, you are likely to see a number of tacky neon signs saying 'Club', but where the clientele is more lonely truck drivers than youths on a night out.
Is this the place to stop for a quick dance when on the long haul from Madrid to Barcelona?
Answer: Some time ago, I was returning home alone after a night out in Salamanca with friends when I realized that I really wasn't ready for bed, so I popped into one of the whiskey houses between the downtown and home.
At least, that was what I presumed 'whiskería' to mean. A cafetería sells coffee (café), a cervecería sells beer (cerveza), a panadería sells bread (pan), so it seemed safe to assume that a 'whiskería' sells whiskey.
I pushed open the door, poked my head inside, and quickly disappeared out the door again. There didn't seem to be anyone drinking whiskey in there. Instead, there were five women looking very expectantly at me. Good-looking I may be(!), but I had quickly realized that this would only be my lucky night if I had been willing to pay.
Yes, you've guessed it: a 'whiskeria' is a brothel, or 'puticlub' in Spanish. This is where 'prostitutas' (or 'putas' in Spanish slang) can do their business without being hassled by the police.
In the two or three seconds I had been in there, I had seen enough. A man was being led into the downstairs area by a woman wearing far too much jewelry. The rest were just waiting (it was clearly a quiet night). The only people in the bar were the barman, five sex workers and a lonely man clearly too drunk to do anything with them.
Shocked though I was by what I had seen (I had really wanted a whiskey!), I hadn't felt intimidated. There was no burly doorman, no noticeable drug abuse, just a few women working in the oldest profession in the world and a barman working in perhaps the second oldest profession.
However, from now on I think I'll have my nightcaps at home.
The out-of-town version of the whiskeria is the Club. These specifically target the long-haul truck drivers who may get a bit lonely on the road. Some inner city brothels are also called 'clubs' too, but don't assume that any club in a city is a brothel. Two of my favorite nightclubs (the going-for-a-boogie discotheque variety) are called Nasti Club in Madrid and their sister club Nitsa Club in Barcelona - these are normal nightclubs which don't have a seedy side to them. Common sense will tell you if the club in question is what you are looking for or not. Usually if it just says 'Club', you'll probably want to stay away.
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