Scores of fans flocked to the fields of Grant Park in Chicago over the weekend for Lollapalooza, where they enjoyed a stellar lineup of artists following last year’s cancellation. But guidelines made one thing clear: This was not a BYOB event.
While Lollapalooza allowed for two factory-sealed water bottles for each guest, attendees were not allowed to enter with anything resembling liquor. This is where some festival-goers got creative, through a process known as “liquor gardening.”
The process involves going to the grounds weeks before a festival and burying a bottle of vodka, tequila, or any other full-proof spirit that can be dug up at a later time. There are even Reddit threads dedicated to planning, burying, and unearthing liquid treasures.
While the notion of this sounds far-fetched, a viral video from Lollapalooza shared over the weekend shows a young man doing just that. The footage was posted by Vashon Jordan Jr., a photo intern for the Chicago Tribune, though the original source reportedly wished to remain anonymous.
Digging up a bottle of Tito’s vodka that was buried three weeks ago. #Lolla
(Names and video credit are being withheld by request.) pic.twitter.com/JsqZD1GxVA
— Vashon Jordan Jr. (@vashon_photo) July 31, 2021
The 12-second video has over two million views, with users praising the man’s innovation. After all, as one subtweet questioned, why waste $14 on one cup of Tito’s when you can have an entire bottle?
As the individual walks away from the scene carrying his hidden treasure, viewers might be left wondering whether so-called liquor gardening is more common than is widely realized. One thing for sure, the idea of planting your liquor to enjoy later brings a whole new meaning to BYOB: bury your own bottle.