5 Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Beers
TweetThere’s more to St. Pat’s than green Coors Light and car bombs. Whether you prefer light-bodied session brews, or dark-as-night stouts, we’ve got the beer you should be toasting.
Conway’s Irish Ale
Great Lakes Brewing Co., 6.5%
Named after the brewery founders’ grandfather—a policeman that directed traffic near the Cleveland brewery for 25 years—this American take on the dry Irish red ale is a little bigger and bolder (and be warned, more alcoholic). Great Lakes uses a mix of traditional hops, along with a subtle U.S.-Euro hybrid to balance the clean, toasty malts.
O’Hara’s Irish Red
Carlow Brewing Co., 4.3%
You’ll be hard pressed to find a more perfect and authentic example of the Irish red. Lucky for you, it’s slowly replacing Killian’s taps at better Irish bars across the country. This easy-drinking ale—only 4.3% ABV—is ideal for washing down corned beef and cabbage, and holds a subtle fruit character that most Irish reds lack. Mild, spicy hops and a touch of roasted barley round out a beer worth hunting down.
Skull Splitter
Orkney Brewery, 8.5%
St. Patrick may be an Irish patron, but consider raising a beer that honors his Scottish birthplace (though some believe he was born in Wales). Skull Splitter, thankfully, doesn’t refer to the beer’s morning-after carnage, but rather an ancient Viking Earl of the Scottish Orkney Islands. The 8.5% ABV wee heavy-style ale brings rich and smooth caramel malt, backed by dry fruit and an herbal hops kick.
Beamish Irish Stout
Heineken International, 4.1%
Guinness may be a St. Pat’s classic, but the more flavorful Beamish is actually brewed in Cork, Ireland (our Guinness comes from Canada). Beamish uses the same nitro carbonation for a super smooth body, but uses a touch more roasted barley for a more satisfying, chocolate-rich stout. Pick up a case of cans on your way home from work this week and don’t worry about leftovers. This beer deserves to be enjoyed beyond St. Patrick’s Day.
Old #38 Stout
North Coast Brewing Co., 5.6%
End your night with a pint of Old #38. Named after a local steam engine, North Coast Brewing amps up the cocoa and coffee malts for a substantial, but not too heavy, Irish dry stout. The bitterness is slightly subdued as the Fort Bragg brewers used a traditional amount of hops with an extra helping of barley, the extra sugar makes a stout more balanced that most.
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