Here’s a real one though.
Pretty low scale blagging, but back when I first moved to London, me and a few of my friends would find free tickets to things like “The Spanish Show” or “Italy Celebrated” or some other thing being hosted at a conference centre, usually Islington & probably subsidised by tourist boards and the like. Often they’d have quite a lot of stalls for vineyards and I’d go up, talk a little bit to the person on the stall while eyeballing all their wines, then ask to try some, namechecking the most expensive bottle. They’d usually free pour you a bit, you can chat a bit longer, then thank them and move onto the next stall. Within a couple of hours, we’d usually be head-spinningly drunk, though that wasn’t particularly sociable as they’d often be in the morning - early afternoon.
However, then there was Beer Exposed.
A similar conference-style thing, but focused specifically on beer. The whole thing had sold so badly, that in the streets in the couple of weeks leading up, there were people just handing tickets out to commuters as they left the tube, all free. I’d told a few people about these free booze opportunities, and had convinced quite a few that it was worthwhile going along to this one as the focus was specifically beer. I had no idea what would be in store, but knew there would be beer of some sorts.
Anyway, immediately on arrival, you’re given a free half-pint glass and there was the Asahi stall filling them up as much as you like 100% for free. No need to blag or chat, just essentially a free bar. We were there at 11AM, not long after it opened, and could not believe it. I texted pretty much everyone I knew updating them on the situation before moving in to look around. There were so, so so many stalls, it was ridiculous. All different brewers, all offering free samples of their beer. Some small, some bigger, but all something and so many different kinds you didn’t even know where to begin. Within an hour or so, I knew about 20-30 people, friends, workmates, their friends, strangers I suddenly was chatting to, half-cut. It was amazing. One of my friends who’d gotten a little too excited was thrown out after an hour after trying to cycle the “Grolsch beer bicycle” which was elaborate and very clearly for display purposes only.
Still have massively fond memories of that day. I remember needing a disco nap afterwards before we went out that night, but it was all worth it. After it was closed we went to get some food to sort ourselves out, and made a pact to go every year for as long as we were living in London. Unfortunately shortly after the credit crunch happened, and there never was another one.