Let the good times roll, the mission of Mardi Gras, the big party down in the big easy. The tradition of fun and indulgence is well known in much of the world. For some the festival is a rite of passage and for others, a yearly reconnection to a piece of themselves and to history. Parades, food & music representing “joie di vivre”, joy of life, in a cultural hub, where celebrating artful expression is a way of life.
Historically, its origins of revelry have roots to the Roman Empire all the way back in the 4th century. When Christianity became the official religion of the Empire, the leaders chose to embrace local rituals & traditions associated with spring & fertility. These became a last hurrah before the holiday of Lent, where Christians refrained from pleasures, prayed and repented their sins for the 40 days before Easter Sunday, which is where we get Fat Tuesday, the last day to indulge before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. As the Roman influence expanded all over Europe, Christianity and Mardi Gras went with them.
Our Fearless Leader, and owner here at St. Ambrose, Kirk Jones, exudes the vibrant energy of New Orleans as a musician in K Jones & The Benzie Playboyz, a Cajun & Zydeco ensemble beloved around the state of Michigan. Kirk & Sharon take some time each winter to return to their own origins, working with our bees down on the farm, on the banks of the Chocktahatchee Creek, swamp country near the Apalachicola River, in the Panhandle of Florida. We miss his smile & his passion while he’s gone, we are jonesin’ for Jonesy! So we decided to have our own little Mardi Gras, a Paczki Party, here in the tasting room. Come celebrate Fat Tuesday with us!
All day, from 12-7, enjoy a free paczki with the purchase of any draft mead on tap. We’ll have apple, Bavarian crème, lemon, raspberry, cherry & orange crème paczki’s, which we’ll help you pair perfectly with a tasty, bubbly beverage. Tomorrow also starts our Two-For Tuesday Happy Hour, where from 5-6pm you can enjoy a glass of draft mead for just $2 (that’s half off!). We’ve got a few games here, too if you’re feeling competitive and thirsty…We’ll have K Jones tunes on too, so stop on by and get Fat with us!