Celebrating our nation’s independence reminds me of my first experience mixing alcohol with politics. The date was December 1st, 2000. It was also my last night in Mexico, having just finished a semester studying abroad. I headed over to the local watering hole with a group of buddies intending on throwing ourselves a going-away party. Unfortunately for us, our planned drinking session coincided with the inauguration of the new President, Vicente Fox. While this should have been be a cause for celebration (Fox’s win ended more than 70 years of one-party rule), the sale and public display of alcoholic beverages have been banned during patriotic Mexican events since 1930, when President Pascual Ortiz Rubio’s inauguration was ruined by a little something called an assassination attempt. What an aguafiestas!
Anyway, after much discussion, we did what any honest American would do in that situation: bribe. A hat was passed around, and 200 dollars later (an incredible deal at $20 per student) the Cuba Libres we were drinking were no longer virgin…
