Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

The 17th March marks the anniversary of the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The tradition began as a feast day in honour of St Patrick and on this day Christians were allowed to put aside their Lenten restriction (which is why celebratory drinking has become associated to the date). The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture around the world with special foods, parades, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.

The Tale of St Patrick

Born in Roman Britain, Patrick was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. Patrick eventually escaped and sailed back to his family in Britain to become a priest and later returned to Ireland to bring Christianity to its people.

For the remainder of his life he established monasteries, churches, and schools in Ireland. Other legends grew up around him—for example, that he drove the snakes out of Ireland and used the shamrock to explain the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). In order to display their Irish-Christian pride and to honor St. Patrick, Irish people began to wear a shamrock on their clothing. Eventually, this practice evolved into wearing green clothes on the holiday.

Drinks to Feature on St Patrick's Day

Guinness

Guinness is a smooth, creamy and balanced stout which is distinctively dark in colour. As an iconic Irish beer, Guinness is a popular choice for guests on 17th March with almost twice the amount of Guinness pints bought than an average day.  Ensure you are stocked up on the product in preparation of St Patrick’s Day. You can also impress your guests with some Guinness facts:

  • Guinness will be enjoyed in 150 countries on St. Patrick’s day
  • The perfect pint of Guinness takes exactly 119.5 seconds to pour.
  • A third of all pints of beer sold in Ireland are Guinness.
  • Guinness tastes smooth thanks to the 300,000,000 bubbles in every pint.
  • Guinness is known as ‘the black stuff’ but is actually ruby red in colour. Hold it up to the light to see for yourself

Ginger and Lime – The Classic Serve

Ingredients

  • 50ml of Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • Schwepps Ginger Ale
  • Large wedge of lime

How to Make 

  • Fill a high ball glass with ice
  • Pour in a shot of Jameson
  • Top up the glass with a good quality bottled ginger ale
  • Stir briefly to mix
  • Take a large wedge of lime, give it a squeeze and drop it into the glass
  • Roughly 1 part Jameson to 3 parts ginger ale, all parts refreshing

The Saints Punchbowl

When entertaining large groups a bowl of delicious punch is an ideal centrepiece. This nod to Ireland’s patron saint is really easy to make and even easier to enjoy

Ingredients 

  • 1 bottle of Jameson Original
  • ½ litre of pressed apple juice
  • 1 jar of honey
  • 1 jar of boiling water
  • 4 sticks of rhubarb
  • 1.5 litres of dry Irish cider
  • The juice and zest of 3 lemons

How to Make 

  • Pop 4 sticks of rhubarb, zest and juice of 3 lemons, 1lb jar of honey and half a litre of apple juice into a blender.
  • Blend everything and sieve the mixture into another bowl.
  • Add 1 bottle of Jameson and a litre and a half of dry Irish cider.
  • Serve in short glass over ice, garnished with sliced lemons and rhubarb.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson Irish whiskey is a triple distilled blended whiskey with a balance of spicy, nutty and vanilla notes. It is a smooth and versatile whiskey making it a great base for cocktails and mixers. Here are just a few that would be great for St Patricks Day:

Irish Coffee

Ingredients 

  • 10ml Demerara and Muscovado sugar syrup
  • 35ml Jameson
  • 30ml lightly whipped double cream
  • 90ml medium roasted espresso coffee
  • 1 vanilla pod or cinnamon for garnish
  • Fresh grated nutmeg

How To Make

  • Dissolve 2 parts Demerara sugar and 1 part Muscovado sugar in 3 parts of boiling water for the syrup.
  • Stir sugar syrup into 35ml Jameson in a warmed glass.
  • Whip 30ml chilled double cream lightly until it starts to stiffen.
  • Brew a 45ml shot of coffee into the glass from your espresso machine.
  • Reload and brew in a second 45ml shot.
  • Pour the whipped cream into the coffee over the back of a spoon so it floats on top.
  • Garnish with a trimmed vanilla pod or a stick of cinnamon and dust with a grating of fresh nutmeg.
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