Introduction to drinking like an Irishman (or woman)

First of all, Happy St. Patrick’s day everyone! As you probably all know, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Guinness beer who went down in legend for bringing the glory of alcohol to Ireland. So naturally, every year on March 17th we all flood our local pubs to drink like the Irish. (Don’t believe me?)

To honor this great day and properly pay homage to St. Patrick, here are a few lessons to help you on your way to being a true Irish drinking snob.

Lesson 1: Guinness
Unlike most beer, Guinness is carbonated mostly with Nitrogen, which isn’t absorbed as quickly into the beer as Carbon Dioxide. This gives the stout more of a creaming, velvety texture. To enjoy Guinness like the Irish, it is proper to wait a full 2 minutes before drinking in order to let the Guinness settle. And for those of you who really want to do it right (or rather enjoy annoy bartenders), ask for a double pour. This pour, which should take exactly 119.5 seconds, consists of filling the glass a little more than half way, waiting for it it so settle, then pouring the rest into the glass.

Lesson 2: Black and Tan
Contrary to popular belief, the Black and Tan is said to have originated in Britain and isn’t widely consumed in Ireland. However, if you insist on enjoying a pint, it’s best to fill your glass almost all the way with Smithwick’s (pronounced Smit-icks, you’re welcome) and top it off with a bit of Guinness.

Lesson 3: Whiskey
The Irish take a lot of pride in their whiskey because they invented the stuff (‘whiskey’ is derived from the Irish word for water). So tonight, skip the bourbon & Scotch unless you want St. Patrick to haunt your dreams. For those that are curious, unlike Scotch, whiskey is distilled 3 times instead of 2 giving it a smoother flavor. And unlike Irish whiskey, bourbon is make using mostly corn grains and is aged in brand new charred oak barrels giving it a distinct oaky flavor.

Types of Whiskey

• Single malt- produced from one type of malted grain and distilled in a single distillery
• Blended – A mixture of various kinds of whiskey such as grain whiskey, malt whiskey, and a pot-stilled whiskey
• Pure Pot Still – Refers to whiskey distilled in pot stills (large copper heating vessels) and contains a combination of malted and un-malted barley

And there you have it, a simple explanation of Irish drinking to prepare you for your exploits. Play it safe, and good luck tomorrow morning.