The Bolder Life: Luck of the Irish

Oh Saint Patrick—most people have no idea why they drink Guinness, wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage and celebrate you every year on March 17th, but they always do!

I love Saint Patrick’s Day. The holiday falls a week after my birthday which naturally means that I spent my first Irish holiday of legal drinking age attempting to consume a green beer or a shot of Irish whiskey at every bar on the south side of Pearl St. from the West End Tavern to Conor O’Neills. Needless to say, I failed. My endeavors were short lived and Irish whiskey and anything colored with green food coloring are still a touchy subject to this day!

There are plenty of shenanigans happening locally this weekend to help you celebrate St. Patty’s day in a much less ridiculous manner. Find out which of your favorite local spots are throwing green-inspired celebrations this Saturday.

If you’re a die-hard when it comes to celebrating the holiday, then you should definitely spend your day at Conor O’Neills. The popular Irish pub kicks off an all day celebration with performances by Irish Dancers and bagpipers starting at 10:00 a.m. Obviously, Conor’s will be cooking up some killer Irish fare and offering drink specials on the best alcoholic beverages to come out of Ireland. Also—be sure to check out their website for their recipes for Irish Bread, Guinness Beer Bread and Stout Brownies.

Craving some Shepard’s Pie? How about some Corned Buffalo and Cabbage? The Old Louisville Inn is serving up some Irish grub with a twist at their 18^th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival. No cover. Tunes by Pat O’Kelly and the Highland Bagpipers, an Irish Sing-A-Long and a chance to win a 2012 Beach Cruiser! Enjoy drink specials on the patio and find out why OLI is a leader in local St. Patty’s Day celebrations!

If you haven’t discovered the Niwot Tavern yet then St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to check out this small town gem. $12 gets you a heaping plate of Corned Beef and Cabbage, Red Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread. Wash down Chef Dave’s expertly prepared Irish cuisine with specially priced Jameson shots, Boulevard Brewing Irish Ales and tasty Irish coffee.

Mike O’Shays in Longmont offers a traditional Irish menu all year long, but they’re serving up Corned Beef and Cabbage this Saturday along with Guinness Tenderloin Tips, Shepard’s Pie and Bangers and Mash. Also enjoy a selection of Irish beers along with some live tunes from the Fort Collins Pipe Band.

And if you’re a glutton for punishment, then start of your St. Patrick’s Day festivities a day early with “The Eve of Destruction Tour” on Friday presented by Left Hand Brewing. Hosted by favorite local brewery rep, Bubba Love, and his team of merry “blackberries in a jar” this event will definitely get you into the spirit of the Irish! Follow Bubba Love as he promotes the Nitro Milk Stout at nine different beer joints in Boulder County. Bubba also promises to serenade you with his favorite Irish drinking songs which I’m sure would even make Saint Patrick proud!

With all of the crazy St. Patty’s Day events going on this weekend, I sure hope the luck of the Irish is on your side when you wake up on Sunday morning!

“May the winds of fortune sail you,
May you sail a gentle sea.
May it always be the other guy
who says, “this drink’s on me.”

Cheers!