{"id":112034,"date":"2022-03-15T15:30:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T21:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.craftbeer.com\/?p=112034"},"modified":"2022-04-29T08:59:52","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T14:59:52","slug":"donning-downing-and-drowning-the-shamrock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.craftbeer.com\/full-pour\/donning-downing-and-drowning-the-shamrock","title":{"rendered":"Donning, Downing, and Drowning the Shamrock: A Sordid Tale of Green Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The practice of drinking green beer on St. Patrick\u2019s Day is steeped in a conundrum of traditions. You may or may not find that this St. Patrick\u2019s Day tradition is an American appropriation, but it sure does make for a festive occasion!<\/p>\n

Dr. Thomas Curtin, a coroner\u2019s physician and eye surgeon, reportedly coined the pigmented idea at a St. Paddy\u2019s Day party at a Bronx social club in 1914.<\/p>\n

If you believe in fairies, well, this could take more than a few shamrocks for illustration. Irish lore suggests wearing green as protective armor in case of a rare leprechaun sighting. And, if you get caught on St. Patrick\u2019s Day without sporting a leprechaun-approved hue, you\u2019re liable to get pinched.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re donning the green this holiday season, here are two Irish-American breweries to consider.<\/h3>\n

Beth Bechtel of Bear Island Brewing<\/a> in Boise, Idaho has Irish roots beyond the potatoes her state is so famous for. Her mother is from County Antrim, home of Bushmills Irish Whiskey<\/a> and a host of breweries. \u201cIn Ireland there\u2019s such a respect for beer,\u201d insists Bechtel. \u201cIt\u2019s not about getting trashed, it\u2019s about communion with friends.\u201d Bechtel has considered throwing a handful of shamrocks and clover into this year\u2019s batch of I-rish You Enough, an Irish red IPA made with authentic Irish oats and named after the traditional Irish blessing. \u201cGosh, if I were to find a four-leaf clover in our beer, maybe we all would have better luck during the pandemic,\u201d she mused. On St. Patrick\u2019s Day, the Bear Island taproom will host the Boise Fire Department, kilts and all, for a special day of pipes, drums, and other Irish culture. You can also join Bechtel at the Treefort Music Fest<\/a> March 23-27, featuring a special Alefort <\/a>that will showcase the intersection of craft beer and local cuisine in Boise.<\/p>\n

McLovin, a beer created by brewmaster Scott Manning at Vintage Brewing Company<\/a> in Madison, Wis., was originally intended as a seasonal bridge between Valentine\u2019s Day and St. Patrick\u2019s Day, but was embraced by the locals so much that it was added to the flagship lineup. The Irish red ale boasts a deep copper color and smooth, toasty caramel malt character, with just a touch of roasted barley in the finish. But if you\u2019re in Madison on St. Patrick\u2019s Day and can\u2019t resist hoisting a green beer, Sister Golden is the go-to K\u00f6lsch on tap. \u201cMy bartenders put one drop of blue food coloring per pint for that yellow-and-blue-makes-green effect,\u201d says Manning. \u201cI didn\u2019t put a stamp of approval on that, but there\u2019s always a knucklehead who wants green beer. I used to be that knucklehead, so I don\u2019t want to turn customers away.\u201d Manning offers this pro tip: \u201cAll that green beer in pubs will be half price the day after.\u201d With three food-focused taprooms, Manning assures that Vintage\u2019s St. Patrick\u2019s Day menu will read like an Irish pub\u2019s with corned beef and cabbage\u2014along with other Irish delicacies\u2014front and center. \u201cI will have to wear green that day and show up for my people,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

No matter how you plan to celebrate a man who transformed an entire country, remember St. Patrick\u2019s words with good cheer: \u201cHere\u2019s to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Melissa Corbin explores St. Patrick’s Day traditions and two Irish-American brewers of note.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6464,"featured_media":112043,"sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sticky_collection":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"82375,1582,24850,98273,1488,83488","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[676,4812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-picks","category-full-pour"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDonning, Downing, and Drowning the 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