An exclusive club within a bar that makes a person feel included, The Coug’s “Mug Club” rewards a chosen few with discounted brews for life.

Assistant manager and bartender Becca Connor said the Mug Club has been around for more than 30 years and allows admittance to roughly 25 applicants each semester.

Members include current students, faculty, alumni and other Pullman locals, all with at least one thing in common.

“It’s a club of people who love The Coug and want to be a part of it,” Connor said.

During the first two weeks of each fall and spring semester, applications to join the club are available at the bar. Connor said there are usually about 40 people who apply, though the fall semester usually sees slightly higher numbers.

She said the management and employees at the bar pick the few new members each semester based on a variety of things, such as whether they are regulars, nice people and have enthusiasm for The Coug. Once accepted, a new member must pay a one-time fee of about $100 to officially become a part of the Mug Club for life.

Despite the low number of members accepted per semester, Connor said the total number of Mug Club members is now more than 3,000. With so many members, only the mugs of those who still live in Pullman are kept at the bar, while the rest are kept in a storage unit.

However, Mug Club members from previous semesters can call ahead if they are coming to visit The Coug, and their mug will be brought out for them, something Connor said happens on a weekly basis.

“The Coug is different from the other bars in town,” she said. “It’s a special Mug Club because The Coug is a special bar.”

The discount that the club members receive varies as times change, but the current discount is $2.75 for a beer, Connor said. The mugs themselves are crystal, rather than glass, and each is decorated with the bar logo, as well as the name and number of the member.