You’re already at peak St. Louis summer if you are found on the banks of the Huzzah wearing a pair of frayed, homemade jorts and trying to get off the gravely landing. As any experienced sailor on the low seas will tell you, the quality of this experience is largely determined by the beverages. Balance is the key. The most important element in any culinary adventure down the river is the can of booze. However, it must be paired with something more hydrating. While chips are essential, sweets and sweets are equally important. They shouldn’t be your only source of fuel. Protein is essential, but it shouldn’t be too heavy or hard to carry.
Cooler packing is not just about assembling the necessary elements. It can provide insight into priorities and, with the help of the many St. Louis snacks, can even be a picture of civic pride. These local vittles will make you the winner of the day, provided you don’t tip.
Billy Goat Cheats
These golden fried delights were originally created as a side dish at the Billy Goat Restaurant & Bar. They became so popular that the owners sold the restaurant to make chips full-time. The perfect snack, thin, crunchy, and earthy, Billy Goat chips can be enjoyed all day.
Individual-Sized Gooey Louie Redbird Velvet Cake
Gooey Louie’s gooey butter cakes are a true St. Louis treat. You can finish off an entire foil pan without worrying about your dignity while still enjoying the sweet treat. While the original flavor is great for showing your civic pride, the Redbird Velvet variation, which is a velvety red-velvet version that pays tribute to the home team, is even better. They’ll keep dry even when the ice melts in the Igloo because they are wrapped in water-resistant cellophane
Red Hot Riplets
The fiery, barbecue-seasoned magic powder that is used to coat Old Vienna’s Red Hot Riplets would be St. Louis’ flavor. These addictive chips have been a staple in our city’s snack and sandwich menus for decades. For easy eating by the river, crush a few and sprinkle them on your favorite hoagie.
Volpi Roltini
The more sophisticated river traveler might long for a picnic-style cheese-and-charcuterie plate, but such a production lacks practicality. Volpi’s Roltini offers the best of both: creamy mozzarella wrapped in silken prosciutto, which will satisfy even the most sophisticated of float-trip gourmands, and the ease of one-handed eating when the current is moving.
Vess Grape Soda
A lot of the drinking on a floating focuses on canned beer. However, it is important to have a non-alcoholic option for those who drink and also for those who wish to stay upright the next day. Vess grape soda is the answer. This St. Louis beverage, which is sweet and tart, can be mixed with Smirnoff to make a mixture for the plastic bottles you bought at the Bourbon gas station.
Imo’s Rope Provel
They are a peak St. Louis snacking choice, regardless of whether you call them by their real moniker or by the snide nickname “Provel Worms.” You can sprinkle them on a salad, or make garlic bread with them. You can’t call yourself a St. Louisan if you don’t eat these cheese-adjacent squiggles right out of their container.
