← Mardi Gras Decoded: Breaking Down the Big Easy’s Business Boom

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By Anslem Samuel | Published February 21, 2012 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

TOASTING TO GOOD FORTUNE Thanks to an open container law, Mardi Gras revelers are able to take the party outside of the bars and into the street. One of the more popular drinks in the Big Easy is the Hand Grenade, which is the registered trademark of French Quarter nightclub Tropical Isle. Owners Pam Fortner and Earl Bernhardt invented the secret recipe in 1984. Since then, everyone who visits the city is excited to try the melon flavored drink. “Location helps business as well. There are three Tropical Isle locations in the French Quarter, two of which are directly on Bourbon Street. “I think Bourbon Street is an anchor,” says Fortner. “[People] come here then they spread out.” With many daiquiri shops located throughout the city, carnival time provides a boost in business for those in the liquor industry.

TOASTING TO GOOD FORTUNE

Thanks to an open container law, Mardi Gras revelers are able to…

(Image: Getty)