By Timothy Long

But some people probably shouldn’t be…

St. Paddy’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and my friends and I love that!

Did I just give you pause? (He wrote with a chuckle)

Well, allow me to expound on that sentiment. I am sure that some of you are wondering why we love our holiday falling on a Tuesday.

It’s easy. When St. Paddy’s Day falls on a weekday, the early crowd is a true Irish American crowd. They’re there for the same reason we are, to celebrate their heritage, in true Irish fashion, of course. And they understand that it’s about camaraderie and enjoyment, not just getting drunk

“St. Patrick’s Day is all about being Irish and celebrating

as only the Irish know how.: – Anthony T. Hincks

My buddies and I have a long running Old Town St. Paddy’s Day routine. The day starts early, with breakfast. Eating is important on this day. Forgetting to do so can be dangerous. The day is a marathon, not a sprint. So planning is essential. And starting with a full belly is one of the keys to success. I also set my phone alarm to remind me to eat lunch. It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and forget. It’s only one day. And one wants to get a full day out of it.

We sometimes eat breakfast at a local restaurant, an Old Town staple known as Table Talk. Or we head straight to the pub and have breakfast there. Either way, we are sitting at the upstairs bar at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub on King Street by nine o’clock am. Times have changed, but the location hasn’t. The festivities always begin at Murphy’s.

“There are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish,

and those who wish they were” – Irish Saying

The afternoon is fun, festive, and great. But then things change at four pm. That’s when the “other” crowd rolls into the pub. To be honest, they’re just looking to have fun as well. But they’re mostly younger, so not experienced partiers. To them, it is a sprint. And many of them probably had a salad for lunch. This becomes obvious after they’ve had two beers and a shot. They sadly don’t understand that a salad will not carry you very far during a true St. Paddy’s celebration. The reality is, they’re who we used to be. The life experience that they lack is the same that has changed us.

They show up in droves and hammer beers and shots. Everyone in the bar begins to feel like they’re being herded like cattle and pushed around like chattel. There was a time when our group wasn’t bothered by such things. A time when we would have actually enjoyed such a crowd. A time when we used to stay out until ten or eleven in the evening on St. Paddy’s Day. Now the day ends around 4 pm. The effects of age and domestication are truly remarkable.

I’m not a party pooper, shots are fun. Although I do prefer to sip my whiskey. And Irish whiskey is very enjoyable. It’s a big part of the celebration. It’s also my second favorite whiskey. Bourbon will always be my first. But on St. Paddy’s Day, Irish whiskey takes a back seat to Irish beer.

Irish beer is a huge part of Irish history and reaches back well before famous brands and global breweries. It has roots that stretch back to medieval monastic brewing, when small religious communities and local alehouses supplied simple, un-hopped ales across the country. Much of a beer’s flavor comes from hops. So, drinking an un-hopped beer is unpalatable to a modern-day drinker. But things had to start somewhere. Irish brewers relied on herbs and local ingredients to flavor and preserve their beer.

By the late Middle Ages and into the 1600s, brewing had become more organized, especially in Dublin, where growing trade and population created steady demand for stronger, more consistent beer. The turning point came in 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a now-legendary lease at St. James’s Gate Brewery and began brewing porter. Visiting this brewery is still on my bucket list. Arthur helped establish porter, and later stout, as the dominant Irish beer style. His beer, known today as Guinness, helped define Irish brewing for generations, shifting public taste away from lighter ales and toward darker, fuller-bodied styles. Porters and stouts will forever be closely associated with Ireland itself.

Our first beer on every St. Paddy’s Day is a Guinness, so is our second and third. It’s a classic dry Irish stout that’s smoother and more restrained than most people expect. You’ll pick up light roasted barley, subtle coffee, and cocoa on your nose. The first sip is soft and creamy, led by gentle roast and toasted grain rather than heavy chocolate or sugar that you find in other stouts. The finish is clean, dry, and slightly bitter. Overall, Guinness is crisp, creamy, and quietly complex. This stout is loaded with flavor. It’s built for long term, slow sipping enjoyment. Guiness is not the big, heavy, dessert-style stout that people assume it is.

Around the same time period as Guinness, Smithwick’s (pronounced Smiticks) came into existence in Kilkenny and grew into one of the most powerful breweries in the world. John Smithwick focused on brewing ale rather than porter, which set the brewery apart as darker beers were beginning to dominate other Irish cities. Smithwick’s Ale is built around light malt rather than hops. The aroma features caramel, toffee, toasted grain, and a subtle earthy hop.  The first sip brings gentle caramel and biscuit malt. The finish is clean, short, and lightly dry with a soft malt fade. Smithwick’s is our go-to beer after we’ve downed a couple of pints of Guinness.

St. Paddy’s Day is not a big craft beer day. The craft beer brewers will tell you that. People will choose the Irish beers over any other on that day. And you can’t blame them. Guinness and Smithwick’s are some of the best mass-produced beers made. One last tip to help you have a great St. Paddy’s Day, stay away from green beer. It’s just cheap beer with green food dye in it. And you will not appreciate its effects when you are in the bathroom the next morning. Trust me. I learned this years ago.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And enjoy the marathon. Slainte!

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

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

Red Breast 12-Year-Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

This whiskey is one of my personal favorites, and a go to on St. Paddy’s Day. On the nose, you get spicy, fruity, and toasted wood aromas, with hints of dried fruits, citrus peel, honey. The palate reveals a silky-smooth texture with subtle baking spices, caramel, and notes of nut. The oak barrel finish definitely comes through. This whiskey finishes long and satisfying, with spice, fruit, and oak flavors that linger.

Nub Cameroon 460

This is a cigar that can stand up to Irish beer and whiskey. Nubs are made by Oliva, who doesn’t make a bad cigar. I always suggest going with a 460, 4-inch, 60 gauge. These Nubs just seem to smoke better than the thinner or thicker ones. The Cameroon opens with black pepper and cedar. As you get further in, it becomes creamy with hints of leather, but the pepper and cedar linger. It finishes a little sweeter, with the same flavors being present throughout the smoke. Enjoy it with that Guiness and Red Breast 12 you are drinking. 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.