Going out can be a great time, but it is often not without a lot of stress beforehand. Whether you are hosting a big dinner party, or just having a kick back with a few friends, there is always a certain dilemma that occurs at these events: what wine to drink? There are a huge variety of wines and a huge variety of tastes between friends.
It would be quite difficult and not efficient to get everyone their own bottle of wine or to resort to ordering by the glass. In fact, your wallet, in particular, will thank you for not doing this. For every problem, there usually lies a happy medium, and with you about to be the problem-solving hero of the night, you definitely deserve the first glass!
Some of the most common wine dilemmas and actual solutions to save your night!:
Some Want White Wine, Some Want Red Wine
The perfect medium, in not only color but taste as well, would be Rich Rosé or light, chilled red.
This is one of the simplest answers because mixing white and red anyway would ultimately end up that pretty pink color that Rosé is. The key is to search for a Rich flavored Rosé so that it still contains the flavor and intensity that red wine lovers prefer.
However, if some are strict Rosé naysayers, a safe alternative would be a light red wine which is chilled. While red wine lovers will enjoy the familiar flavors, the white wine lovers will enjoy that fresh acidity and drinkability that cooler temperatures enhance.
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Some Want Dry Wine, Some Want Sweet Wine
A dry but fruity white wine will create the best of both worlds for both parties.
This is one of the most common dilemmas that shows up at outings. The perfect solution. While the wine remains dry, the fruity flavors give the sweet flavors that are wanted by the other side. Usually, sweet lovers don’t want a wine with residual sugar; they just want a wine that is fruity anyway.
Some Want Oaky Chardonnay, Some Want Clean Pinot Grigio
A solution to this would be rich white wine with fresh acidity and fruit.
Now these two wines may not have anything in common, but the solution falls somewhere in the middle: whites that are rich in body, sometimes with a bit of oak, however still with fresh flavors and plenty of acidities.
Some Want Light Red Wine, Some Want Heavy Red Wine
Solution Number 1 would be a full-bodied red wine with high acidity
Acidity in wine is a hidden gem that makes everything seem lighter and brighter than it actually is. It is a great way to bridge the gap between light-bodied wines and full-bodied wines. This magic makes a 15 percent ABV wine to seem light in body, purely because of acidity.
Solution Number 2 would be a full-bodied red wine with low tannin
Now if you’re not a fan of high acidity wines, another solution would be low-tannin red wine. Light bodied wine lovers usually crave the drinkability of their favorite reds, but full-bodied wines can be just as smooth and easy drinking. The key to finding this is by avoiding overly tannic wines, as they can seem quite coarse and bitter, especially to wine lovers who are used to lighter red wines.
See? There is a happy medium for almost everything, especially wine selection! This is because of the vast variety of wine that is actually out there. You just have to give them a chance!
Whether you enjoy dressing up in all green, enjoying the family festivities or getting absolutely wasted until the early hours, the most central part of any holiday is a great dinner – and a hearty, Irish meal is so important on St. Patrick’s day.
Corned Beef Brisket, Cabbage, Potatoes, And Carrots
This incredible dish takes a whopping 10 hours to cook- but is so worth it! Back when St. Patrick’s day became a tradition, you might’ve found families corning their own beef, but nowadays there is absolutely nothing wrong with a delicious store-bought corned beef brisket. Like any holiday, getting up super early just to start cooking is a tradition- and this beef brisket definitely follows through on that tradition, cooking for 10 hours to ensure mouthwatering, tender, moist meat. Not only does it need to cook for 10 hours, you ideally need to let it cool for a day in its cooking liquid to ensure even more amazing flavor. Carrots, cabbage, and potatoes compliment this delicious hunk of meat perfectly, making every juicy mouthful a delight.
Champ
These mashed potatoes are definitely a dish for ‘champs’. Unlike normal mashed potatoes, champs are much creamier and are scallion-studded. They are enriched with milk and butter and are seasoned with salt and pepper, with finely sliced scallions added. The flavor is rich and extra zesty.
Stout-Battered Onion Rings
Onion rings may not be traditional to Irish culture, but stout definitely rings it in. Stout-battered onion rings are rich in flavor, with hints of paprika, honey, and mustard for spice and sweetness. These aren’t your typical onion rings- they are a special type, bursting with flavor, perfect for the special day of St. Patrick’s Day.
Soda Bread
Soda bread is a very traditional bread of the Irish, so it makes sense to enjoy it on St. Patrick’s Day! Soda bread is so dense and crumby and uses baking soda for leavening. It is also enriched with buttermilk and sweetened with honey. As opposed to the more traditional soaked raisins, using cranberries can be refreshing, along with it being studded with whiskey. If you aren’t a fan of Soda Bread, another option could be nutty Irish brown bread to accompany the meal.
Irish Coffee Ice Cream With Dark Chocolate and Pecans
There’s nothing that tops off a meal better than some ice cream, but even better, Irish ice cream on St. Patrick’s Day! This delicious dessert is bursting with buttery caramel, roasted coffee grounds and not forgetting the generous portion of Irish Whiskey! Its flavor is creamy and sweet, with a slight bitterness and smokiness to it, really complementing the other flavors. The dessert is finished off with crunchy candied pecans and shaved dark chocolate- because who doesn’t like chocolate?
One of the biggest Irish traditions has got to be the beers- from ales and lagers to delicious stouts, they are all staples to most St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the world. From Harp to Guinness, there’s a notable Irish brew for every beer lover. Whether you are heading out to a parade on the day or hosting your own party, here are some ‘must-know’ Irish beers to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day!
Guinness is one of the most popular Irish beers worldwide, especially in the U.S. Its flavor is distinct with smooth aromas and deep, dark, satisfying flavors. There are different Guinness brews which are most popular to have- Guinness Draught, Extra Stout, and Foreign Extra Stout.
Smithwick’s is often referred as “Smitticks”. This ale has a unique flavor to it which combines hops with deep malt, coffee, aromatic fruits and roasted barley notes.
This lightly colored lager is refreshing in flavor and has a European ring to it. It is rich in flavor and isn’t like any other lager, boasting a smooth and sharp finish.
This Irish Stout has become increasingly more popular over the years, particularly in the U.S. It’s much more light a sweet in flavor compared to the other stouts.
Celtic Stout is a smooth, dry, Irish Stout which combines the rich flavor of coffee with traditional hops. There are also notes of tasty licorice in there!
With it’s smooth and creamy finish, it has a base flavor which is similar to Smithwick’s. However, the cream ale gives its own unique and delicious blend, nonetheless.
This Irish Stout isn’t as common, however, it is a good, tasty brew which is perfect for those lighter drinkers in need of an easy-drinking option. Including fruits such as peaches, bananas, plums mixed with traditional hops, this golden wheat ale is smooth and quenches your thirst.
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Porterhouse Brewing Co. Oyster Stout
Quite like its name, this stout is truly unique. Being one of Dublin’s favorite aromatic beer, it is bursting with interesting blends of dark, flavorful hops, grains and strangely enough, fresh oysters!
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Syndey is Australia’s largest Irish event there is. It centers around different things and this year it will center around family. The parade features two music stages with over 20 acts including Aoife Scott, daughter of Frances Black. This family fun parade will also host lots of food and craft stalls and a dedicated children’s area where kids can enjoy activities such as bouncy castles, face painting, Irish dance lessons, and storytelling- all free of charge.
2. Montreal
Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival has followed its tradition since 1824, making it one of the longest-running St. Patrick’s celebrations in North America. The United Irish Society of Montreal who has been organizing the event for over 90 years have even helped revive St. Patrick’s Day festivals in the cities of Quebec, Toronto, Hudson, Ottawa, and Chateauguay. The festival is also Montreal’s official start to spring, no matter what the weather is- in the last seven years having seen torrential rain, snowstorms, and blazing heat! You can expect this festival to include more than 100 entries of marching bands, floats and thousands of participants from all over Quebec and Ontario.
3. Montserrat
This beautiful Isle of the Caribbean is the only country other than Ireland which counts St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday. This is because the Irish connections date back all the way to the 17th century when Irish Catholics fled to this safe haven after being persecuted on neighboring islands. The connection is so strong that visitors receive a Shamrock stamp on their passports! St. Patrick’s Day is not only a national holiday but a week-long celebration, showcasing the amazing, unique African-Irish heritage.
4. New York
New York has always been known for putting on a big show, and nothing changes with St. Patricks Day- New York having celebrated it since 1792! This year’s parade will have 200,000 people marching on the parade route. The parade will begin at 11 am, and will march up to 5th Avenue, stopping outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral to be greeted by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
5. Buenos Aires
With over 500,000 Irish people and their descendants living in Argentina, there’s every reason to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! The event is co-hosted by the Argentina-Ireland Association and the Buenos Aires city government, and the Irish Embassy in Buenos Aires. It takes over the whole city, culminating in Plaza St. Martin, where there are 100s of food and beer stalls with Irish dancers and live music and huge processions of bagpipes! The event is known as Dia de San Patricio and will be a beer-fuelled party which carries on till the early hours.
