St. Patrick's Day: Match Your Beer and Food

St. Patrick's Day preparations are here and it's time to plan on pairing your favorite Irish beer with traditional Irish meals.  Irish reds to rich, dark stouts here are some suggestions to complement your Irish meal and make your party a success!

Stout

Irish stouts like Guinness and Murphy's are dark, rich in flavor. Many do not know that they are surprisingly light and do not have as much calories as people think.  Their flavor is predominantly coffee like, making them a perfect pair with chocolate desserts.  You can also use the beer as an ingredient in your Guinness chocolate cake.  No only do these stouts taste great with dessert, but they also go well with oysters and fish 'n chips.

Red Ale

Irish reds like Smithwick's and Killian's Red Irish are medium-bodied beers.  These beers have a distinct caramel flavor and get their color from the roasted barley that is added at the end of the brewing process.  Their balance of sweetness and bitterness are a perfect paring with corned beef and cabbage and Shepherd's Pie. The saltiness in this St. Patrick's Day staple is counterbalanced by the sweet, caramel flavor of these red ales.  

Lager

Lagers are light and refreshing beer and Harp's and Rogue Irish Lager have the perfect touch of carbonation. Served cold, but not too cold to lose its flavor, lagers should be dry, a little bitter, flowery and bready in flavor. This unique mix of flavors make lagers an ideal ingredient for Irish soda bread.  

Serve all three types of beer at your party and complement them with the appropriate food pairing and you are sure to bring out the flavors of the beer and the meal.  Taking that extra step to perfectly match your meal and drinks, will make your St. Patrick's Day stylish!  Erin go braugh!

St. Patrick's Day Party Planning Ideas

Labeled as one of the biggest party events of the year, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday everyone seems to enjoy being a part of, Irish or not. Here's some helpful tips and ideas to make this year's celebration not only fun and festive, but stylish as well.

Decoration

There are many ways to celebrate this patron saint of Ireland, but one of the most popular ways is by throwing an Irish-themed party complete with all the green decorations you can find. Finding decorations that are St. Patrick's Day themed is not only easy, but you can purchase them cheaply or as expensive as you like. Online stores such as Oriental Trading offer a great selection from "Kiss Me I'm Irish" pins to a Leprechaun outfit.

Begin with green streamers and balloons to set the mood if you're on a budget. Decorate tables with green table cloths or green plastic covers that can be purchased at places such as Party City.

If you have more green to spend, go all out with green light bulbs in your lamps, shamrock-shaped party lights and green carnations for a more stylish feeling. Hanging shamrock spirals or garland also adds a festive feel to the party.

Find a black pot to represent "the pot of gold" and purchase some gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins that can be used not only as a party decoration but as a sweet treat for the guests.

Don't forget the Blarney Stone! Find a big rock (or make one out of Styrofoam or papier-mâché) to be your Blarney Stone. Place it near the door so people can kiss it when they enter. It's legend is infamous and having it as a party prop it can also be a great conversation piece.

Plates and cups do not have to be St. Patrick's Day insignia, instead purchase ordinary green plates and cups.

Dress

Obviously, green is the color theme! Lads and lassies can go all out on dressing up for a St. Patrick's Day party. Others can get into the spirit of St. Patrick's by breaking out all the green clothing they can, pinning on a "Kiss Me, I’m Irish" button and topping it all off with a green leprechaun's hat.

Activities

Whether you are throwing a party for your the over-21 crowd or younger crowd, there are plenty of activities to cater to everyone. For the over-21 crowd, the popular way to pass this celebration is by drinking. Pub crawls to local Irish businesses give you a drinking break and some fresh air between drinks. Also, these pub crawls allow you to meet other festive celebrants and engage in the hoopla of the day.

For those of you having an at home party, put on a CD of traditional Irish songs. If you have a karaoke machine, hook up the big screen TV and let your friends have at it singing classics like "Danny Boy."

Since St. Patrick's Day is synonymous with the pot of gold, send your guests on a treasure hunt. Purchase some gold foiled wrapped chocolate coins and have your guests search for them around the house. The one with the most coins, wins a prize!

Food

Get the green dye out! Mashed potatoes, beer, cupcakes, cookies, anything edible make it green! Keep your menu simple and traditional.

What is a St. Patrick's Day party without corned beef and cabbage and green beer? Try serving the following recipe of individual mini Reuben sandwiches from Allrecipe. They are sure to be a hit!

• 1 (1 pound) loaf cocktail rye bread
• 1 cup thousand island dressing
• 1 1/2 pounds deli sliced corned beef
• 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
• 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese
• 
  
• Preheat the oven's broiler.
• 
  
• Arrange cocktail rye slices on a baking sheet. Top each one with about 2 teaspoons of thousand island salad dressing, then fold about 1/2 slice of corned beef to fit the bread, and lay over the dressing. Place a small amount of sauerkraut over the meat, then top with 1/4 slice of the Swiss cheese, or a slice about as big as the bread.
• 
  
• Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Desserts

Your sweet table can be a plethora of green and shamrock shaped cookies. You can make it as simple as a bowl of green M & Ms or jelly beans or it can be as extravagant as shamrock shaped cookies or green cupcakes decorated to the nines.

Beverages

Green beer, Guinness and Irish Coffee are your St. Patrick's Day staples, but why not serve something different. Try the following recipe at your party, not only is it unique but it will give you that stylish flare.

• 2 Ounces Ketel One Citroen
• Dash of lemon juice
• 6 Ounces Prosecco
• 1.5 teaspoon Edible Gold Dust
• Martini glass rimmed with edible gold

1. To make gold glass rim, mix one glass edible gold dust with few drops of vodka to form a thick liquid. you can find edible gold dust at Joann Fabrics.
2. Dredge the rim of the martini glass in the liquid to coat edge making sure the gold liquid is thick enough so that it doesn't drip.
3. To thicken add more gold dust and to dilute add more vodka.
4. Pour the Ketle one Citroen and lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of edible gold dust in to a cocktail shaker with ice glass and shake until well chilled.

Enjoy the party and Erin go Braugh!

St. Patrick's Day Party

Known as the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick is widely celebrated throughout the United States and planning the perfect St. Patrick's Day party involves a little creativity and lots of fun filled entertainment. Having thrown many parties in the past, I have found that planning my parties in advance is the key to a successful party.

Step 1: Guest List and Invitations

Once you decide on who you would like to invite, consider sending a special invitation to set the theme for your party. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised to receive a shamrock shaped invitation detailing your St. Patty’s Day festivities. I found a great sample template to give you a quick start! http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/cegif/StPattParty_PDF.pdf
On the invitation include the information below to let your friends and family know you are ready to party!

• Host/Hostess’s name
• Party Theme/What’s the party for?
• Date
• Where
• Time
• Directions
• RSVP Information
• Any special messages (optional)

Step 2: Table Setting

Once the guest list has been made and the invitations have been mailed, it is time to plan the menu. Planning an authentic Irish party requires the ingredients of food, drink, and music.

Sit down dinners are my favorite and your choices of table linens, plate settings, and decorations are endless. Department stores, such as Pier One and Target, always carry inexpensive dinnerware and glassware that can charm your guests throughout the evening. I always try to use fine table linens and match my color palette according to the special occasion we are celebrating. For St. Patrick's Day, green is the color to use. Try complimenting a cream or white tablecloth with emerald napkins and use classic gold-rimmed cream or white plates to set the mood of elegance for your guests. If you want to have a buffet style party, you can still use tablecloths and instead of china plates you can use paper plates. You can find a wonderful selection of paper plates with complimenting cups, napkins and plasticware at places like Party City or Party Adventures.

Step 3: The Menu

Corned beef and cabbage is synonymous with St. Patrick's Day and it is a wonderful main course to serve for dinner. Below is a sample menu to consider for your party to celebrate the Irish traditions and recipes can be found on the following website http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/irish_recipes.htm.

• Corned Beef Dinner
• Irish Stew Dumpling
• Rueben Casserole
• Boxty-Irish Potato Cakes
• Irish Soda Bread Recipe
• Lemon Irish Whiskey Cupcakes
• Irish Coffee

To let your guest know what Irish specialties you will be serving, I suggest printing the dinner menu on shamrock themed paper. Roll the menu up and tie fresh shamrocks or green ribbon around the paper for that finishing touch. It is nice, personal touch and will remind your guests of the invitation they received.

After you completed the menu, concentrate on your presentation. I am a stickler for making sure the serving plates match and that each dish has a serving utensil. Nothing says ‘being unprepared’ more than having your guest ask for a serving utensil or seeing your guest use their flatware to serve their plate. These minor details are very important in making a lasting impression.

Step 4: Fun Fun Fun!

So, the guests are here and the food is served. Now, it is time for drinks and entertainment. The Irish are infamous for their music and dancing. Find a CD that will bring joy to your party and remind your guest of Emerald Isle. The website http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/patricks_day_songs/ has a nice selection of Irish music that you can entertain with.

Along with the music, make sure your bar is stocked with the finest Irish whiskey and beer. You can also make some intriguing drinks like Irish Eyes or Midori Sour by visiting the website http://www.bethanyroberts.com/st-patricks-day-drinks.htm for a variety of recipes. After all, the Irish are infamous for their alcohol tolerance and green beer!

Step 5: Relax!

As you stand back and see that your guests are raving about the food, are heavily into their green beer and are dancing and singing the night away, you know you have thrown a successful party. It’s time to relax and enjoy the party that you so masterfully put together! Erin Go Bragh!