Sláinte!!
By Timothy Long
You’ll need to shout out a proper toast on St. Patrick’s Day! And raise a proper pint of beer!
St. Paddy’s Day is coming. And a word is about to be shouted in Irish pubs around the country. Slainte! An Old Irish expression that is derived from the Irish word “slan” meaning healthy or safe. Slainte [slahn-cha] is used in modern times as an equivalent of the word “cheers”. By raising your pint of beer, or glass of whiskey, and offering a “slainte” before you drink, you are toasting “good health” to those around you. But in Irish culture, you are doing much more than that. According to Irishcentral.com:
In Ireland, Sláinte is more than just a word; it’s a cultural practice. When someone raises a glass and says “Sláinte,” it’s an invitation for those around them to do the same, creating a shared sense of connection and camaraderie. It’s a way of acknowledging the importance of friendship and community, and of celebrating the good things in life.
If the Irish are good at anything, it’s celebrating the great things in life. That’s what St. Patrick’s Day has become, a celebration of all the great things in our lives. And celebrating life itself. It’s by far my favorite holiday. It replaced Christmas right around the same time that I figured out that I love beer.
I do love beer. And one of my favorite beers is Guinness stout. I always start St. Patrick’s Day with a pint of Guiness. It’s a tradition I share with many of the celebrants on St. Paddy’s Day. However, drinking Guinness does present a challenge. St. Paddy’s Day is a marathon, not a sprint. And stout is not a marathon beer. Stouts and porters are tasty, but they are also heavy. They can weigh you down rather quickly. So, after a couple pints of Guinness, one’s strategy must change. This is where my go to St. Paddy’s Day beer comes into play, the Irish Red Ale.
Oddly, Irish Red Ales are much more popular in the United States than they are in Ireland. The Irish love their stouts and porters, all other beer styles come in second. So how did America come to fall in love with Irish Red?
Once upon a time, in the early 1990s, America was beginning to crave new and different beer styles. The craft beer trend was in its infancy. Coors jumped on the specialty beer craze early and began to heavily market it’s Killian’s Irish Red. Coors had bought the Killian’s name back in 1980 from fifth generation Irish brewer George Killian Lett. Lett had closed his brewery and was happy to make money from the name. Coors now saw a huge opportunity to market their new Irish beer. The beer was a success and became readily available everywhere in the states.
Today, the most well-known and popular Irish Red is actually from Ireland. Smithwick’s Red Ale traces its origins back to 1710 in Kilkenny Ireland. This is where John Smithwick established his brewery at St. Johns Abbey. By the way, there’s a good chance that you pronounced the name of the beer wrong. You don’t pronounce the “h” or the “w”. The Irish pronounce it “Smitticks”. And if you find yourself in an Irish pub, you’ll be corrected, and sternly, if you pronounce it otherwise.
Irish Red Ales tend to be amber or a deep reddish copper in color. You’ll get malt and caramel on the nose. These beers are all about the malt, not the hops. Their mouthfeel tends to be very smooth. When you drink one, you’ll get a buttery malt and caramel flavor. You may even notice buttered toast or toffee flavors. The lightly roasted grains given Irish Reds a dry finish. You’ll get little to no hop flavors. Any bitterness you may detect comes from the roasted grains.
These beers are great St. Paddy’s Day beers. After a couple of stouts, you’ll need to make a change. And this beer should be your next stop. It’s wonderful malt flavors and dry finish make it a perfect marathon beer. They are not overly light, but also not so heavy that they will slow you down. You can trust me on this, I have done years of research. Slainte!!
Here are a couple of my favorite Irish Red Ales that I recommend for your St. Paddy’s Day enjoyment.
Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale
Pronounced “Smit’icks”, this copper red colored ale is one of my favorites. It has a creamy head. Not as creamy as Guinness, but very creamy. The mouthfeel has that typical red ale smoothness. Its maltiness is perfect. It doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Nuttiness, coffee, and toffee all complement Smithwick’s deep malty caramel flavor. It’s roasted malt flavor lingers in the after taste. And since it is owned by Guinness, it’s easy to find. And at a 4.5 ABV, it’s easy to enjoy all day long.
Center of the Universe Bald Irishman
Center of the Universe Brewing Company is out of Ashland, VA. They do a great job. My good friend Kevin introduced me to their Irish red ale about a month ago. You immediately get the toasted malt on the nose. They use five different malts when brewing this beer, so the palate is full of great caramel and malt flavors. The ABV is 6.5 %. So be a little more careful with this one. What I love the most about this beer is that 10% of the proceeds from the can sales go to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to help fund children’s cancer research.
Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale
Another huge favorite of mine. This full-bodied delight has wonderful toasty biscuit and malt flavors. It stays smooth to the very end with a nice dry finish. Its ABV is 6.3%. So, keep that in mind while you’re enjoying it. Conway’s would be a great addition to your St. Paddy’s Day beer selection. As I have joked before, Great Lakes Beer is the only good thing to come out of Cleveland. Sláinte!!
Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations
Walsh Whiskey’s Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey
This whiskey is a recreation of a blend of pot still and malt whiskeys, both distilled in copper pots, that were popular in 19th and early 20th century Ireland. It is rumored that many great Irish writers of the day favored it. It is said that they enjoyed it so much, that their tears were of whiskey, hence the name. I received a bottle of Writer’s Tears’ Copper Pot from my good friend, Old Town Crier Publisher Bob Tagert. This whiskey is sweet on the nose, where sugar and bubblegum immediately come through. It is smooth and sweet on the palate with malt at first followed by vanilla and oak. It has a soft and delicate finish. I chose this whiskey because it doesn’t have the traditional biscuity and bready flavors commonly found in Irish whiskey. Enjoy this with a good stout or porter. It may be a little too malty to blend with an Irish Red.
Gurkha Grand Age 2 Connecticut Toro
It’s St. Paddy’s Day, not the day for a heavier cigar. This wonderful smoke is quite affordable and a great cigar to share with friends. It has a great burn and a smooth creamy flavor that is highlighted by notes of cedar, nuts, and spice. It remains smooth throughout the smoke with a sweet finish. This will go great with that Irish Red you are enjoying. Slainte!
This cigar, and many other fine cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% off the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.
About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com. Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that fly doing in my soup? http://whatflyinmysoup.com