Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. As people around the globe get ready for upcoming St. Patrick’s festivities, Guinness Master Brewer, Fergal Murray has compiled the essential checklist for the annual day of colour and social celebration.
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Thanks to Fergal’s 30 years experience mastering the craftsmanship of Guinness and his unique job of ensuring every drop that leaves St. James’s Gate is of the highest quality, he is the expert when it comes to pouring and enjoying the perfect pint on St. Patrick’s Day.
From the pint and the food, to the parade and ‘the craic’, whether fans of the black stuff are in Ireland on Monday, March 17th or here in the UK, with the help of Fergal’s list, St. Patrick’s Day has never looked so good!
1. THE PUB:
A great pint needs a great pub, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. Wherever you are, finding somewhere you can soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the perfect pint is essential. Check out Guinness.com for a list of Quality Accredited pubs to make finding a great pub even easier.
2. YOUR MATES:
Get your mates involved to truly relish in ‘the craic’. Studies have shown that spending time with your mates is good for you – the perfect excuse to save 17 March in your mates’ diaries.
3. THE PERFECT PINT:
The first sip of a pint is an important one. Raise it to your mouth, look out to the horizon and drink the liquid through the head to avoid only drinking the white foam. You’ll know you’ve got it right, if the white head stays until the end of your pint.
4. THE GRUB:
From a classic Irish stew to oysters, the black stuff is the perfect partner for your food on the day. Guinness can also add a bit of magic to your favourite dishes at home. From mussels and brown bread to chocolate cake, it’s more than just a pint; it’s the perfect ingredient.
5. THE PINT AT HOME:
Thanks to the very clever ‘widget’, you can also enjoy the perfect pint at home. Invented by Guinness in 1988, it sits at the bottom of the can. Once the can is opened, the ‘widget’ jets nitrogen through the beer, creating the longer-lasting creamy head you get on a pint at the pub.
6. THE SAINT:
A little known fact is that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales around AD385. There is much Irish folklore surrounding St. Patrick – for example, he is said to have driven all the snakes from Ireland!
7. THE PARADE:
St. Patrick’s Day is the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any and what better way to celebrate than with a parade. In recent years the largest have taken place in Dublin, New York and Birmingham. Surprisingly, the St. Patrick’s Day parade began not in Ireland but in America. It consisted of Irish soldiers serving in the English army and took place in New York in 1762. Get involved with the celebrations by searching online for local parades in your area.
8. THE GREEN:
Since the 17th Century, green shamrocks have been worn as a symbol of celebration on St. Patrick's Day. Over the years, the colour green and its association with St. Patrick's Day has really grown. You can easily show some spirit by wearing a touch of green or you can show your true colours by going head to toe!
9. THE CRAIC:
Central to the day is ‘the craic’. Whether you’re in the pub with your mates, watching the parade, doing an Irish jig, listening to some trad music, you’ll be having a whole load of craic before you know it! Remember to enjoy the craic responsibly by eating a good meal before drinking, enjoying plenty of water to stay refreshed and keeping an eye on your mates.
10. THE LINGO:
Prove you’ve got the gift of the gab and speak like a true Irishman, by sprinkling some Hiberno-English* gems into your conversation, like What’s the craic? (What’s happening? How are things?), Grand (Great!), Thanks a mill (Thanks a lot!) or try a little Irish with Sláinte (Good health/Cheers!).
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