If you have a home bar, now is the time to consider how to transform it into a traditional Irish pub where you and your friends can enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe there isn’t much on offer where you live in the way of Paddy’s Day events. Or perhaps you prefer a night in, doing it your way. Creating a traditional Irish pub in your home bar is also a great way for teens to celebrate in a safe, supervised space – with parents in control of the drinks available. It just takes a little Irish decoration to bring a bit of the old country into your home. One of the Irish gifts we’re most famous for is the relaxed and welcoming pubs in villages and cities around the island.
Irish pub décor includes posters and photos of the scenery, beer mats and coasters, and signs. You can even get personalized bar signs with your family name. Your Irish home bar can be personalized even more with prints of the county in Ireland where your ancestors lived. It’s a great place to display your family coat of arms, too.
Raising the Perfect Glass for Patrick’s Day
People will disagree about the perfect pint. Many say Guinness, but some people will argue for other brands. Pretty much everyone agrees about one thing, however. To pour the perfect pint, you need a proper pint glass. Your home bar needs the right glassware to transport you and your friends to a traditional Irish pub. The shape is more important than the decoration. If you are a hardcore Guinness fan, you can get proper Guinness pint glasses. You can also find a variety of personalized designs to show off your family name and even your coat of arms.
While we’re famous for the pint of plain, stout isn’t the only drink with Irish roots. If you really want to go all out with your home pub, you’ll need some whiskey glasses too. Wine glasses and mugs for tea and coffee are also good. It’s a little-known fact, but not all Irish people drink beer. Tea is an even more popular drink.
To really offer the Irish gifts of hospitality and craic to your guests, you’ll want to provide a little more to create the right atmosphere. You’ll need Irish music. You can go for trad or ballads or even something like Van Morrison, U2 or Sinead O’Connor. If you’re serving dinner, what about a traditional dish such as coddle? If you are just having snacks, potato chips, sausages and fries or sandwiches would be what you’d see at an Irish house party. And of course, don’t forget to wear green. This is the perfect occasion to don your t-shirt or hoodie with an Irish design.
If you are going to a St. Patrick’s Day party at someone else’s house, all of these items also make excellent Irish gifts for the host. We’re not only famously welcoming hosts. We’re good guests too!