St Patrick ’s Day for the beer geek. Here are some great beers for the GREEN Day. NOTE: Please do not drink actual green beer that is for the amateurs who do not know better.
Here are a few Irish beers I have found that would be perfect for this day.
Guinness Dry Stout – This is the most famous Irish beer for this day. Dry Stout, Dark malt with a super smooth coffee and chocolate flavor. Be sure not to serve this too cold the flavors will not come out.
Beamish Irish Stout – Another Irish beer and just as tasty as Guinness. Served slightly cold this beer will give off great dry dark roasty malt flavors with added chocolate. This is a beer that is best served Nitro so it stays creamy.
Smithwicks Irish Ale – Reddish in color, clear with a thin head. These beers tend to be malty with added caramel notes in flavor. You might also find an earthy flavor with this brew. Not a lot of alcohol beer this is a great session beer for a long night.
Harp Lager – Light golden in color, clear with a thin white head. Light lager flavor this is a typical Irish brewed lager. Slightly bitter from the hops the malt is very much prevalent. This is a great starter brew for the night.
Now some beer geeks love to make a Black & Tan. The typical Black & Tan which ismade from a blend of pale ale and dark beer usually a stout or porter. Most Black & Tan’s are Guinness poured on top of a half filled glass of Bass Lager . You need to be sure to use a backside of a spoon so you do not pour directly on the beer and the beers stay separated for that Black & Tan affect.
If you must have a dram of Irish whiskey I would be trying for the following.
Jameson Irish whiskey
Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey
Bushmils Irish whiskey
These are all blended whiskeys with a light peaty/earth flavor. They warm up well and can be blended into many special cocktails such as.
Irish Car Bomb
¾ pint Guinness
½ shot Irish Cream
½ shot Irish whiskey
Add the Irish cream first layer with the Irish whiskey then drop intot he pint glass once the shot hits bottom – Well then chug and chug fast if not you will see why.
Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.
‘Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!’
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Slante from BrewDad – Be Safe…
