Mayor Brandon Johnson commends safe Chicago St. Patrick's Day and says he has never had a BORG

Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune on Mar 17, 2026

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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday commended the safety of Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but declined to endorse the proliferation of BORGs in citywide revelries this past weekend.

A BORG, or “blackout rage gallon,” is an alcoholic concoction typically contained in a plastic gallon jug. And in the nation’s third-largest city, home to one of the most rambunctious celebrations of the holiday, young partygoers were eager to swagger between bars and parties with the drinks, usually dyed kelly green.

Asked for his official position on the BORG, Johnson first demurred and asked whether “the green substance” was non-alcoholic.

“First of all, I’ve never had a BORG,” the mayor — who himself is a teetotaler — told reporters. “Look, we want people to be safe and to be responsible. We did have a great celebration. You know, my official position on any alcohol consumption is that people should do it responsibly.”

Photos: Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day

Videos posted to TikTok this weekend showed Chicago police dumping out the gallons and making what online content creators christened as “BORG morgues” or “BORG jails.”

One video with nearly a million likes showed filled BORGs piled in the back of a garbage truck.

“The Chicago Police Department enforces all laws, including laws related to drinking in the public way and public intoxication,” the department said in a statement to the Tribune Monday.

A spokesperson added that no individuals were charged with disorderly conduct on Saturday in the 1st District — which includes the Loop, where the annual downtown parade and dyeing of the Chicago River took place — and one minor was arrested for obstructing an officer and possessing alcohol underage.

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