As I’ve noted here in the past, St. Louis likes a chance to drink in public. Budweiser, the local famous brew, markets heavily on St. Patrick’s Day. The can labeled High Noon in this person’s right hand, is nominally vodka and fruit juice. The chap in the Scots tartan has a fat cigar in his left hand. (Calling Dr. Freud!)
I've been shooting our St. Patrick's Day for years and have often mentioned the amount of alcohol sloshing around ante meridian. More than once, I've noted that St. Louis loves an excuse to drink in public. In the hi res version of this pic, you can see that the bottles between the two men are vodka and Bloody Mary mix. Reminds me of a picture I took at the parade 15 years ago (see below).
I accidentally shot this picture at f 9, probably my arthritic fingers knocking the aperture ring on the lens. The background was much too busy so I tried Photoshop's new Blur Background tool. I think I overdid it.
As with any American pro sports venue, the new CityPark has plenty of places to get a drink. The local behemoth, Anheuser-Busch (actually Anheuser-Busch Inbev) is a major sponsor. The products of some of our excellent local breweries are on sale. As I walked around the stadium, I saw a wine and cocktail bar. You can get a buzz any way you want.
Actually, there is another choice directly across the street. One of Missouri's newly licensed cannabis dispensaries is opening. Using that term for the business seems like a euphemism to me. Competitors that call themselves liquor stores are so much more candid and honest.
I've noted here several times that St. Louis, or at least a lot of it, likes an excuse to drink in public. This band, setting up before the pet parade, was sponsored by a bar in our Soulard neighborhood where this takes place. Note the golden glass of beer on the stage floor. This was at about 12:30 PM.
The consumption on the streets Sunday will be trivial compared to the Mardi Gras Grand Parade this Saturday. And since we just got legal recreational cannabis in Missouri, I expect the air will be redolent with an aroma richer than Budweiser.
Our big, somewhat unruly Mardi Gras takes place today. Since it's been offline for a couple of years I pulled an old picture that gives some of the spirit. (Pun sort of intended. There is some kind of alcohol in that fishbowl.) I'll be there as long as my increasingly-creaky back holds out.
