Quote from ChitownWally:
JS,
Just out of curiosity, what bar near the CBOT where you at? I'm currently clerking in the bond options pits and our traders usually go to the Cactus and Alcock's. Heard back in the day there used to be another place called Exelisir or something. The bars near the CBOT used to be a lot more packed when the bond futures pits where still alive (they're drying out now because of the screen). Back in the heyday, at 2:00pm, there'd be like over 1500+ traders/brokers/staff come out from the financial side (the 10 and 30yrs held like 500-600 guys each).
It's been my experience that I see more brokers/traders from the financials than from the grains....though we do get out a little later. The financials traders seem to be a bit more intense and generally younger and wealthier than the grains guys, so that might be why they're more willing drop phat bank on booz.
I wonder how some of the guys you mention start drinking by 9-10AM. Do they step off the floor to have a drink? I haven't seen it; grains don't start til 9:30, but I guess most of the those guys are there before. If if the bonds guys have a good day, the earliest they probably leave is around noonish.
Just my 2 bits...