Once again the greatest drinking day of the year is upon us. Are you Irish? Are you wearing something green? Are you drinking something green? Are you naked and drinking something not green? Its all good either way, as long as you get in the spirit of thing in some way.
I thought Id take this time to suggest a few quality but surely not standard ways to enjoy your St. Patrick's Day:
Music - Tired of Black 47 & Irish Jigs? Here is a better way>
House of Pain -
maybe skip "jump around" but Danny Boy and co knew how to make it so.
U2 -
Ok so they probably get plenty of spins this time of year (and the rest of it) but its hard to resist some of their catalog after a few (too many) brews. go for "Bad", "Red Hill Mining Town", or maybe even "War" and you too (get it...?) and you may even get you some for once. points for anyone who sing these songs well. lord knows I try...
Thin Lizzy-Aaaahh the great Phil Lynott...what a sad loss to music. but thank god he was around loong enough to bless us with some amazing songs and performances in his short time. they just released "still dangerous" (more live cuts from "live and dangerous" which is probably awesome. I cant think of a better live CD moment off hand that rivals the huge moment where "Cowboy Song" (my personal fave) rolls right smack into "The Boys are Back in Town". I can live without "boys are back" no thanks to growing up on american radio, but you the moment is so awesome, I will roll with it anytime I can or at least on march 17th of every year until I croak...
Film:
State of Grace-
Ed Harris, Sean Penn, and Gary Oldman play Irish gang members in NYCs hells kitchen. yeh I know it sounds weak on paper, but the movie is awesome. John C Reilly (forever known to me as Chest Rockwell from Boogie Nights) makes a decent cameo as well. Apparently some of this movie is based on true people and events including the part where they keep a severed hand in a freezer to use for fingerprints on a murder weapon. genius.
also see: boondock saints
Blown Away-
Jeff "the dude" Bridges tries to catch & Tommy Lee Jones, an irish bomber who (while listening to U2 in tears) blows up everything in sight. good times. good rental. best with a cold Killians.
In the Name of the Father.
wow. anyone who ever wondered how Daniel Day Lewis got to be suck a big star and hasnt seen this work of art, should...see this work of art. DDL is pretty amazing in this true story about a young Irish lad who gets wrongly accused and jailed for being a member of the IRA.
also see: The Boxer, Gangs of New York (featuring DDL at his best as Bill the Butcher)
Now what would a list of St Pats things be without booze?
Beer:
For the record, I dont personally drink much Irish Beer, or Irish Booze in general. Anyone who knows me, knows I like my Whisky from Scotland, and my beer either mexican and sometimes blond, like me wife...But in the spirit of the thing, heres the path to stumble down:
Beer:
Guiness, Killians, Murphys, Smithwicks are all fine, but I"d say for this day, if you are drinking anything but Guiness, you are missing the boat.
Whiskey:
Jamesons is my choice here, but a good buddy of mine often recommends Pattys. Although he once asked me to pick him up some Pattys (Irish) whisky while I was in Edinburgh Scotland...so hard to really take that to heart.
Drinks/Shots:
Irish Car Bombs are the sure shot here. Guiness, Baileys Irish Creme, and Jameson Whisky. Whatever scientist invented this potent mixture surely deserved the nobel prize. You are kind of in jaeger bomb territory here, but for some reason, you feel a bit more classy doing it.
(classy...right???)
Alright then...enough out of me. now get out there, get drunk, feel the love and hopefully luck of the irish. if at all possible do it with class. like this gentleman below...
-Matty O'Hanrahan
