Saint Patrick’s day, by all accounts this is a Catholic holiday of some kind. Not that it really matters in America. Here we all claim our 1/16th Irish heritage and bedeck ourselves in green inside and out. From dyed beers to boiled beef and cabbage everyone’s a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. So long as Irish means alcoholic anyway. Sure there’s a ton of great Irish food out there Shepard’s pie chief among them but I’d be remiss if I didn’t focus my talents on the beverage portion of the holiday.

Guinness and Jameson are venerable brands and two of the most popular from Ireland. But there’s a lot more to enjoy from the Emerald Isles. When it comes to beer the stouts may be popular but I always reach for Irish Red Ales. You see Killian’s a lot in this market but if you’ve never tried it Smithwick’s is very much it’s superior. Local Brewer Avondale also makes an Irish red that’s worth looking for in bars this Saturday. Far and away my favorite is a hard to find import name Porterhouse Red, it’s delicious and well worth the time it takes to find it. Don’t waste your time at grocery stores though.

When it comes to whiskey regular Jameson is just a let down. It’s the vodka of whiskey, nearly flavorless beyond a few citrus notes. Not to say the Jameson’s brand produces no good whiskey, but their basic bottling is just not one. Bushmills and Michael Collins are rather easy to find locally and they are packed with flavor. Even more so is Black Bush and New Bushmills Honey, to follow the recent trend. Black Bush, however, is much older and is a blend of older Irish single malts. Big, robust, and an excellent sipper. There’s a lot more to the world of Irish whiskey, but thanks to the ABC board, we can’t experience it.

However why can’t there be more than beers and bumps of whiskey on St. Patty’s? We need cocktails. And green ones to boot!

Bangkok Patty

Ingredients

3 oz Irish Whiskey

1 ½ oz Ty Ku

1 oz Midori

Club soda

Garnish: Lime Twist, Green Cherry

Combine alcohol in a shaker. Shake violently. Pour into a  ice filled rocks glass. Top with club soda. Garnish and serve.

From Belfast to Bangkok everyone’s a little Irish. So crank up the Irish music, fake your most stereotypical accent, drink hearty, and designate a sober driver. Only buzz killing losers drink and drive.