Missouri
Nightlife in Missouri
Missouri (or the “Show Me State”) is located in the Midwest, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska and crossed by the famous Route 66.
In fact it’s so middle of mid west that St. Louis is often called the “western-most eastern city” and Kansas City the “eastern-most western city.”
Lohman’s Landing but renamed Jefferson City, so named after Thomas Jefferson (the 3rd US President), has been the state capital since 1821, and is a much better name than “Missouriopolis”, which was the alternative name suggested at the time.
Missouri was acquired from the French as part of the Louisiana Purchase and was once a key stop over for pioneers and wagon trains and they prepared to head out west.
It was the the 24th state to join the union in 1821, and has since grown to be the 18th by populous in the US.
As nightlife goes, Missouri gets a big thumbs up from us as its alcohol laws are among the most permissive and relaxed in the United States, (followed closely by Nevada and Loiuisiana), unlike those of Kansas and Oklahoma, which could be described as draconian by good honest folk who enjoy a beer.
Whilst the drinking age for both purchase and consumption is 21, like most US States, there is a provision allowing Missourians over 21 to manufacture up to 100 gallons of any alcohol for personal use each year, without any state license or state taxation.
Missouri is also home to one of America’s best known icons: “Bud” or “Budweiser” or “A-B” or Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc, if you want the full name. Based in St Louis and with nearly 50% of the market in US beer sales, it’s the largest brewing company in the United States (third largest in the world), and the last large scale American brewer to still be majority owned and operated in the United States.
Smoking in Missouri. Well that seems to be governed in the same relaxed and sensible way they deal with alcohol. Missouri has the third highest percentage of adult smokers of any US state, and NO statewide smoking ban ever has been proposed. In fact, only 20% of Missourians supported a statewide ban in public places. In 2007, Forbes magazine named St. Louis as America’s “best city for smokers”. As of November 2007, only eleven cities in Missouri have any smoking restrictions at all. Only eight smaller cities have smoking bans in effect for all workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
Missouri state law declares as “an improper employment practice” for an employer to refuse to hire, to fire, or otherwise to disadvantage any person because that person lawfully uses alcohol and/or tobacco products when he or she is not at work.
We love Missouri.
Missouri bars and nightlife venues appear under their respective cities, so check them out and see what you think.