Monster.com and the dozens of other services like it are cool, but it makes your resume easy to get lost in the fog. Having a personal referral alone generally isn't enough to get a job (barring something very low-level like a busboy), but it's a much stronger starting point.

The bar thing is cool, too. If you are chatting with a stranger, don't pester them for job openings, but I think it's perfectly fine to say something like "What do I do? Eh, about to graduate with a tech degree, looking for work." If you have a rapport going, it's entirely possible the stranger could mention something.