It’s a perfect storm for fun this weekend as Baton Rougeans, starved for spring and warm weather, will come out in droves for the 30th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. That means lots of green beer, backyard crawfish, spent beads, irreverent t-shirts and behavior that gets worse the closer it gets to the end of the route near the Perkins Road Overpass. Some of us claim Irish ethnicity; most of us don’t. No matter, this particular day is one for hitting the pause button on regular life, shutting down streets and relishing the spectacle that is South Louisiana.
And speaking of spectacle, gaudy green foods are required eating. It’s something I’ve mastered by living on or near the parade route for the last 15 years. One of my favorite things to break out is a bottle of Crème de Menthe.
We’re obsessed with boutique alcohol these days, but this garish occasion merits a retro liqueur in a ridiculous hue. Use Crème de Menthe in classic cocktails like the Grasshopper or Stinger, incorporate it in mint brownies or pour it over vanilla ice cream. It looks like Scope, but it tastes like a celebratory dessert at a 1960s steakhouse.
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