STL Barkeep's Fat Tuesday Cocktail Carnival Brings the Party to the Park

Living in St. Louis, it's easy to forget what Mardi Gras is not — that, by definition, it can't just be a giant all-Saturday street party in Soulard. The name translates to "Fat Tuesday," after all, and the original idea is that the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is your last chance to indulge in hedonism before you abstain from meat and booze and le bon temps throughout Lent.

Even though few RFT readers are likely giving up anything for the 40 days before Easter this year, we'd surely all benefit from more than one Mardi Gras ritual, and so regardless of whether you go all out in Soulard on Saturday, why not also indulge on the night that gave the holiday both its name and raison d'etre?

This Tuesday, February 21, you can do just that in a remarkably civilized way at the Piper Palm House (4271 Northeast Drive, 314-771-4454), where the acclaimed mixologists of STL Barkeep will set up their second annual Fat Tuesday Cocktail Carnival. No reservations or tickets are required; just show up for a New Orleans-themed cocktail (or three), craft beer and Cajun dishes, with offerings available for à la carte purchase.

The fun kicks off at 4 p.m. Will it continue into the wee hours of the morning like a true Mardi Gras celebration? Assuredly not; you're in Tower Grove Park, after all. But no one said you had to start Lent with a hangover. Details at facebook.com/events/3357897707794805. 

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