I have one of the world’s most envious job titles, “Guinness Beer Specialist”. I’ve been a Guinness fan all my adult life so this job lets me talk about my favorite beer all over the globe and also lets me exercise my media skills that I spent years studying and honing on the radio stations and in the comedy clubs of Dublin.
Where do you do it?
Now there’s a question! I’m based at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, the home of Guinness, and I spend a lot of my time interacting with the 1.6 million visitors that visit us annually. But this role has taken me all over the USA, Singapore, Norway and Serbia so far…and who knows where’s next!
Let’s talk St. Patrick’s day. How should one celebrate St. Patrick’s Day properly?
St. Patrick’s day is a day for getting together and celebrating with friends and family. It’s a celebration of Irish values and culture, which is often based around a social atmosphere at a bar or restaurant. It’s all about inclusion and going out of your way to be nice.
In your experience, how is St. Pat’s day in Ireland celebrated compared to the U.S?
A lot of people are under the impression that St. Patrick’s Day celebrations began in Ireland. The Irish did start the festivities, but it was Irish immigrants who started celebrating the day on American shores. I’d go as far as to say, even today, St. Patrick’s Day seems to be much bigger in the USA than it is in Ireland. That said, the Irish population is around 4.5 million and there are 30 million Irish Americans flying the flag over here.
What do you suggest gents reach for this St. Pat’s day at the bar? Our guess is that you’ll say Guinness, so perhaps you can shed some light on why this is the best beer of choice. Every guy has a go-to beer, so how do we get him to (at least) try Guinness?
Guinness Draught is a great choice and definitely my go-to beer. The main thing to remember for a new Guinness drinker is to make sure not to sip the foam of the beer. Guinness Draught was the world’s first nitrogenated beer and for many, it’ll be the first nitro beer they taste. Sipping is out. You need to drink a generous mouthful to break beyond the foam. This should leave you with a Guinness mustache and we’re encouraging drinkers to share their Stache selfies on social media tagging the GuinnessUS handle and using #StacheForCharity. For every photo we get, we’ll donate a dollar to the Guinness Gives Back Fund, so get involved.
This year also marks 200 years of Guinness in the USA, which is a good reason to pick up a glass, but even if someone isn’t a fan of stout beers, we have plenty of other options in the range like Guinness Nitro IPA, Rye Pale Ale, Guinness Blonde American Lager and more!
When you raise a glass, make sure to say the Irish word for cheers, Slainte (pronounced S-lawn-chah)! Which means, to your health!
Do grab a solid beer like Guinness draught for St. Patty’s day.
Slainte!