Student Life Newspaper | Student Life

The preparation of absinthe requires running ice water over a sugar cube in a slotted spoon and into the yellow liquid itself.

And did I mention they serve absinthe? If you’re looking for a change of pace after a semester of shotgunning beers or sipping boring cosmos, Lola serves up this nefarious spirit in all its glory—and in creative ways. While absinthe’s historically-rumored hallucinatory properties have been debunked (drinking it will not actually make you see the green fairy), it does have a very high proof and often a distinctly different effect than other alcohols.

The bar’s absinthe cocktails and martinis all play off of the spirit’s natural flavors of fennel and anise. Some of the more creative drinks include flavors of black cherry, honey or even lavender. Of course, you can also get absinthe served the traditional way. In Europe and the Czech Republic, where absinthe gained popularity in the 19th century, it was served in a special absinthe glass with a slotted spoon, a sugar cube and a touch of fire.

At Lola, your server will pour you one shot of lucid green absinthe and rest a slotted spoon on top of the glass. The server then places a cube of sugar on the spoon that is doused in more absinthe, lights it on fire and lets the sugar bubble before pouring water over it, so that the sugar dissolves as the water runs through the spoon, diluting the alcohol and turning it a murky white before you drink it.

Lola’s drink menu is a regular mixology masterpiece, offering, in addition to absinthe, various wines, beers and St. Louis-themed martinis, mojitos, margaritas, Bloody Marys and signature creations.

It’s also a great place to grab a light bite to eat before hitting the bar. The food is always creatively and skillfully prepared. For a crowd-pleasing option, the house-made pommes frites ($6) come with various dipping sauces like aioli of roasted garlic or tarragon and house-made red pepper ketchup. Lola’s duet ($8) is another great option for late-night dining—the plate consists of a mini bacon and bleu cheese burger and a mini mushroom, onion and Swiss burger, both served on fresh baked slider buns.

Lola is divided into two very different sections—a larger, classy restaurant fills the front space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, dim red lighting and a full bar. Toward the back is the smaller bar/lounge area, featuring nightly performances and absinthe-themed wall murals of green fairies, large eyes and abstract designs of muted blues and greens.

The bar can get loud and crowded on a Saturday night, so get there early to enjoy the live jazz and funk music. Settle into a comfy leather couch and claim your spot for the evening. If you like a rowdier club-like atmosphere, arrive around 11 p.m., grab some drinks and hit the dance floor.

After opening this summer, Lola has already created quite the buzz in the downtown scene. With its eclectic crowd and neighborhood jazz bar vibe, Lola has shot to the top of our list of must-visit late-night spots in St. Louis.

500 North 14th St.
Nearest MetroLink Stations:
8th and Pine or Convention Center
314-621-7277
www.welovelola.com

Although most Wash. U. students do not know very much about the rugby team, there is a steady recruiting process that keeps their 25-man roster full at all times. In addition to attracting potential players at the activities fair and the WUTube festival, most of the new additions came from word of mouth about the team.

“A lot of the time someone on the team will be talking to some guys and bring out their friends,” senior captain Barry Bradley said.

“We ask people who used to play football, who used to play lacrosse and other contact sports, and we encourage them to come out,” sophomore Jordan Grimstad added.

The rugby team has a regular season schedule in which they play every team in their division twice, and the rest of their games are against men’s league teams. The division includes teams from local schools, like the University of Missouri-Rolla, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and cross-town rivals Saint Louis University.

“We are the smallest school in our division, and our athletics compete at a D-III level, while Missouri-Rolla competes at a D-II, and Missouri-Columbia and SLU both compete at the D-I level,” coach Paul Wood said. “Don’t get me wrong, though, there is no recruiting in rugby so we are not getting loaded up on, but at Mizzou and SLU, specifically, they have a higher commitment to athletics because at those schools the athletic department makes money for the school.”

The rugby squad prides itself on having a solid balance between competitiveness and enjoyment. On Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00-9:00 p.m., the Rugby team rides to South Campus for practice, and games are usually played on Saturdays. Although this is not a varsity team, Wood expects consistent attendance at practice from his players.

“We try to keep practice as required as possible,” Wood said. “As coach I have to remind myself that the students are here for an education first, and I am here to coach rugby first.”

Wood also ensures that practices are structured so that the devoted players can work as a team to prepare for the next game.

“Generally at practice we work on drills,” Grimstad said. “We even do hitting drills once in a while.”

This weekend, the Bears face the University of Missouri-Columbia in one of the biggest matches of the season.

“It’s always fun to play Mizzou,” Bradley said. “They are generally a good team, but they just graduated a bunch of seniors, so we think we will have a pretty good shot at beating them and then winning the conference this year.”

Wood, the former head of the Referee Society of the Missouri Rugby Football Union, uses his experience and knowledge about rugby to strategically manage matches. Although there are 15 players on the field at a time and seven reserves, a player cannot re-enter once he comes off the field.

“Each game presents different challenges,” Wood said. “You owe it to the team to put and keep the best possible team on the field while the game is in question, so tactical substitutions are mostly done early in the second half in an attempt to take advantage of the other teams adjustments.”

The rugby team takes on the University of Missouri-Columbia this Saturday.