St. Patrick's Day

[Beaver]

I went to a new Irish bar in town for St. Patrick's Day (Conor O'Neill's). They had a bunch of the typical Irish and British beers (Guinness, Beamish, Murphys, Bass, Boddingtons, etc.). What really ticked me off was that they were serving the beers in plastic cups. :mad:

I really wish that the previous brewpub that was there (Linden's) had not closed.

[Herb Ninja]

I wanted to get some Beamish but all they had was Guinness, so ill stick with that.

Happy Just Another Reason To Drink Day! Peace, HN- :)

[steveh]

Originally posted by Beaver
What really ticked me off was that they were serving the beers in plastic cups. :mad:

That happens in Chicago on St. Pat's too. They're either running out of glasses due to too many customers, or the more brazen (fermented courage or otherwise) customers are copping the glasses too often, so the plastic comes out. Go back today and I'll bet you can get glass around your beer.

S.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by steveh
That happens in Chicago on St. Pat's too. They're either running out of glasses due to too many customers, or the more brazen (fermented courage or otherwise) customers are copping the glasses too often, so the plastic comes out. Go back today and I'll bet you can get glass around your beer.

S.

And in Cincinnati. Our local, very small pub serving Guinness, Bass, Harp, Killians, Blue Moon and Butt Light was serving in plastic cups when it had to (which was most of the time) and in glass when it could

[fretlessman71]

And think about it... just how much damage can a drunken reveler do with a plastic cup? I'm sure the owners of most bars were looking at their insurance rates square in the face with that decision as well. :P

[brewmonkey]

We always serve in plastic on major holiday's where we expected large crowds. We never had a problem with fights etc... but glass theft was big as was breakage. We also have large crowds at the bar and no one wants to hear that you ran out of glasses and are waiting for them from the kitchen. So, we go with plastic cups to allow everyone to get their beer in a timely fashion.

The only exception we make to this is on St. Patricks day. We buy 100 or so special pints with our logo in green, the year and the occassion. They sell for $5 with the first pint and refills are regular price ($2 on St. Patrick's day).

[I'mRocketMan]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
We always serve in plastic on major holiday's where we expected large crowds. We never had a problem with fights etc... but glass theft was big as was breakage. We also have large crowds at the bar and no one wants to hear that you ran out of glasses and are waiting for them from the kitchen. So, we go with plastic cups to allow everyone to get their beer in a timely fashion.

The only exception we make to this is on St. Patricks day. We buy 100 or so special pints with our logo in green, the year and the occassion. They sell for $5 with the first pint and refills are regular price ($2 on St. Patrick's day).

So when do I get one of those glasses, brewmonkey?? :D

[Beaver]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
We always serve in plastic on major holiday's where we expected large crowds. We never had a problem with fights etc... but glass theft was big as was breakage. We also have large crowds at the bar and no one wants to hear that you ran out of glasses and are waiting for them from the kitchen. So, we go with plastic cups to allow everyone to get their beer in a timely fashion.

The only exception we make to this is on St. Patricks day. We buy 100 or so special pints with our logo in green, the year and the occassion. They sell for $5 with the first pint and refills are regular price ($2 on St. Patrick's day).

Great idea, brewmonkey!

I guess I'll have to give the place a second chance sometime, when it's not so busy. I still liked the brewpub that used to be there, so I guess I'm biased against the new place from the start.

[MeridianFC]

When I used to work at Murphy's here in DC (hey a boy named Kelly working at a place called Murphy's, go figure), we'd always use plastic on St. Paddy's. There is no way in hell you'd be able to keep up with the cleaining, not to mention breakage/theft on the day. Would you rather drink out of plastic or wait 30 minutes for a beer. All beer snobbery aside I think I know the answer.

BTW for St. Pats I stayed well the hell away from any and all Oirish bars. I had one beer (Wychwood Golaith; it was English!) and watched Robert Flaherty's "Man of Aran". I think if I hear "the Unicorn Song" one more time in my life I will strangle somebody.

[steveh]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
I think if I hear "the Unicorn Song" one more time in my life I will strangle somebody.

My local station featured "Shamrock n' Roll" yesterday; various blocks of music by U2, Hot House Flowers, the Cranberries, Bob Geldoff, Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor... not a Unicorn Song all day! ;)

S.

Oh yeh, my celebration consisted of sharing with friends: a growler of Irish Stout from the local brew-pub, various cans of Guinness Pub Draught, and a new bottle of Bushmill's 10 year old, triple distilled, double cask aged, single malt!

Slante!

[davesarman]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
Glass theft was big as was breakage.

There's a wonderful German restaurant I frequent that has come up with a pretty good solution to this problem. When they have their outdoor fests (Springfest, Maifest, Summerfest, Octoberfest), they let you "lease" a glass for about $4 or $5. When you are done for the evening, you can either turn your glass back in for a refund or take it home with you. These are nice, hefty 1/3 liter mugs that don't break easily. In fact if you've bought one at a previous fest, they will let you bring it in with you at the next fest. I admire them for this and their attitude to serving good German beer in glass vessels instead of plastic.

[Theakston]

Pewter Tankards with tracking devices.


OK maybe not.
;)


Stayed home and split a sixer of Old Dominion Black and Tan with her indoors.
Corned Beef and The Pogues.

Cheers!

[steveh]

Originally posted by Theakston
... and The Pogues.

Yeah, forgot the Pogues - and the Thrills. Didn't hear any Black 47 though, or Young Dubliners - have to pull out those discs tonight. Did hear some Clannad (sorry if I butchered that spelling).

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by davesarman
they let you "lease" a glass for about $4 or $5. When you are done for the evening, you can either turn your glass back in for a refund or take it home with you.

I've encountered that method at small festivals in Germany, though actually for less of a deposit. I suppose they figure most people will bring the glasses back and only silly American tourists will want a Haller Lowenbrau Weizen glass! ;)

S.

[I'mRocketMan]

Originally posted by steveh
I've encountered that method at small festivals in Germany, though actually for less of a deposit. I suppose they figure most people will bring the glasses back and only silly American tourists will want a Haller Lowenbrau Weizen glass! ;)

S.

When I was in Darmstadt in 2002, the brewery had these swing top 1 litre growlers. For 3.5 euros (about $3.50 at the time), you got a litre of any of their beers and the growler... I liked the Marzen so much I went back the next day and bought another one!! The growlers were brown glass with the Darmstadter Brewery logo in gold leaf on the front!! Need less to say, I brought them home!!

Cheers! Rocket

[SoxyinMO]

We've been working on the home-brewed London Porter, but bought Guinness for St. Pat's. About 1/2 way through our meal, by daughter voiced what we'd all been thinking :"This Guinness doesn't taste as good as your beer." It didn't have the complexity of flavors our mouths had come to expect.


BTW, SO glad to find so many Pogues fans here!

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by steveh
My local station featured "Shamrock n' Roll" yesterday; various blocks of music by U2, Hot House Flowers, the Cranberries, Bob Geldoff, Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor... not a Unicorn Song all day! ;)



Similar situation on 105.5 in Madison; they also added some Chieftains and Richard Thompson (is he Irish?...no matter); no Rory Gallagher though, unfortunately, but some local bands made live in-studio appearances.

[noby]

I kept it kind of low key this year.
The pubs get busy from lunch time onwards, and by 7 o'clock can get a bit messy.
Went for a feed of corned beef and cabbage at my mother's, then home to a few bottles of guinness.

BTW, Shane MacGowan was scorned upon on the evening news. There was an open-air concert in Belfast, with girl bands etc. in the middle of the afternoon.
Then Shane played his set, to a couple of thousand kids, with a bottle of wine in one hand, and a pint in the other.(well, it was paddy's day!)

[chazwicke]

I once saw the Pogues with Shane back in the 1980s at Wolftrap. McGowan is superb. I also love Kirsty McKoll. To bad she was killed at such a young age. I get tears when I hear her sing with the Pogues on Christmastime In New York.

[SoxyinMO]

I saw the Pogues in Detroit in the late 80s. The amps started smoking in the middle of the set, so Andrew Rankin sang The Star of the County Down accapella whilst the amps were fixed. It was great.
I LOVE Shane (obviously) and think he's one of the greatest poets of our time.