yeah i also drink before going to a club. they put a smidgeon of alcohol in the cocktails. the rest is fucking juice. ideal would be to carry a vodka bottle with a nozzle and pour it in your drink secretly.
I know a few bartenders at the bars I go to at times, they are pretty good about hooking me up. Even better since a few of my friends have worked as barbacks and bouncers. I don't get watered down drinks.
I carry a flask into NFL games though. That is a fucking ripoff there, better off pouring the liquor into the drinks myself.
6 shots for 4 bucks is fair usually. I tip well myself, but I never have walked more than 5 minutes drunk. I don't drive either, sleep on a friend's couch. That is when I actually go to a club/bar. House parties are more welcome these days.