Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit
That jumble of letters in the title is actually an Irish translation for "Happy St. Patrick's Day," which, in the context of this blog, is a relatively big day coming up. If you want to give St. Patrick's Day wishes to somebody in Gaeilge, then you're far better off asking an Irish
speaker for guidance. However, as I understand it the expression would be pronounced something like, "la ale-lah pwa-rig son-ah ditch." Sure, give
it a try. But be careful saying it to a woman in a loud bar.
Just as the Gaelic words for the holiday might look like European Scrabble to a non-Irish speaker, St. Patrick's Day itself in the U.S. is a scramble of half-remembered myths, dated stereotypes, politics, and a dash of religion at which our emigrant ancestors (and sometimes today's Irish) would probably be rolling their eyes. But so what? What makes it notable is the universal reach and broad appeal of the celebration.
Happy St. Get-Outta-Town Day
It's a full-blown holiday in Boston's Suffolk County, but not for the reasons you'd think. It's actually called "Evacuation Day" in observance of March 17, 1776 when British troops awoke to see George Washington's cannons pointing down on them from Dorchester Heights and decided to leave the place to the colonials. The resulting annual celebration coincided with St. Patrick's Day of course, and the massive influx of Irish to Boston beginning in the 1850s started the transformation of the holiday from a DAR to an AOH event. But the original and seldom used name remains on the city's calendar.
Otherwise, St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Boston are similar to that in other U.S. cities There are parades in traditionally Irish-American neighborhoods. There's also green beer, corned beef, cardboard leprechauns, plastic shamrocks, "Kiss Me (or Fight Me), I'm Irish" shirts and buttons other Eire-satz accoutrements.
And drinking. Did I mention drinking? Some people reserve the day to get and stay besotted to celebrate a measure of Irish heritage. Aside from the fact that green beer just seems as wrong as green ketchup, the typical St. Paddy's Day activities always struck me as odd. I mean, why set aside one day for celebratory drinking when we have 364 (365 in a leap year) other perfectly good days for a little craic?
For anyone planning on drinking on St. Patrick's Day to the point of being unable to see through a ladder, and you want some Irish whiskey, then stick with economical standards of Bushmills and Jameson. But if you're planning on retaining even the slightest bit of non-sober coherency and want something that's a little more traditionally Irish, then I have a three-word recommendation.
Pure. Pot. Still.
If there's one thing that sets Irish whiskey apart from Scotch it's distillation in a pot still. Yes, it also is usually (not always) triple- (vs. double-) distilled. And the barley is typically roasted over unpeated fires. But the use of the pot still, vs. the more prodigiously producing column still, is the thing that gives Irish whiskey its historical bona fides. Pure pot still whiskey simply means that it's not mixed with grain or malt whiskey.
So, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I plan on celebrating with some of my favorite pure pot still whiskey -- and the one readily available choice in the U.S. -- Red Breast 12-year-old. It's about $40, if you're wondering, and a very good whiskey.
I'll also have some Beamish or Guinness, and corned beef, cabbage and root veggies, Yeah, I know that corned beef is much more Ashkanazi than Irish. But it's mighty tasty and efficiently gives me a week's worth of sodium in a single serving. I may also cook up some back bacon and tomatoes for breakfast as another nod to something more traditional. But beyond "sláinte," I'll avoid trying to speak Irish because I'll only embarrass myself. Instead, I'll stick to something simpler, such as "want another pint?"
So, however you say or it celebrate it, Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!
p.s. -- You could take the pot still and traditional Irish thing a step further if you're so inclined and get your mitts on some poitín (po-CHEEN), sometimes spelled poteen. Also known as Irish moonshine, poitín was illegal for over 300 years. It was OK'd for export in 1989 but only sanctioned in Ireland itself in 1997. I've only tried one of the two commerically available brands (Knockeen Hills and Bunratty). It's different. But I'll stick with the whiskey.
Just as the Gaelic words for the holiday might look like European Scrabble to a non-Irish speaker, St. Patrick's Day itself in the U.S. is a scramble of half-remembered myths, dated stereotypes, politics, and a dash of religion at which our emigrant ancestors (and sometimes today's Irish) would probably be rolling their eyes. But so what? What makes it notable is the universal reach and broad appeal of the celebration.
Happy St. Get-Outta-Town Day
It's a full-blown holiday in Boston's Suffolk County, but not for the reasons you'd think. It's actually called "Evacuation Day" in observance of March 17, 1776 when British troops awoke to see George Washington's cannons pointing down on them from Dorchester Heights and decided to leave the place to the colonials. The resulting annual celebration coincided with St. Patrick's Day of course, and the massive influx of Irish to Boston beginning in the 1850s started the transformation of the holiday from a DAR to an AOH event. But the original and seldom used name remains on the city's calendar.
Otherwise, St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Boston are similar to that in other U.S. cities There are parades in traditionally Irish-American neighborhoods. There's also green beer, corned beef, cardboard leprechauns, plastic shamrocks, "Kiss Me (or Fight Me), I'm Irish" shirts and buttons other Eire-satz accoutrements.
And drinking. Did I mention drinking? Some people reserve the day to get and stay besotted to celebrate a measure of Irish heritage. Aside from the fact that green beer just seems as wrong as green ketchup, the typical St. Paddy's Day activities always struck me as odd. I mean, why set aside one day for celebratory drinking when we have 364 (365 in a leap year) other perfectly good days for a little craic?
For anyone planning on drinking on St. Patrick's Day to the point of being unable to see through a ladder, and you want some Irish whiskey, then stick with economical standards of Bushmills and Jameson. But if you're planning on retaining even the slightest bit of non-sober coherency and want something that's a little more traditionally Irish, then I have a three-word recommendation.
Pure. Pot. Still.
If there's one thing that sets Irish whiskey apart from Scotch it's distillation in a pot still. Yes, it also is usually (not always) triple- (vs. double-) distilled. And the barley is typically roasted over unpeated fires. But the use of the pot still, vs. the more prodigiously producing column still, is the thing that gives Irish whiskey its historical bona fides. Pure pot still whiskey simply means that it's not mixed with grain or malt whiskey.
So, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I plan on celebrating with some of my favorite pure pot still whiskey -- and the one readily available choice in the U.S. -- Red Breast 12-year-old. It's about $40, if you're wondering, and a very good whiskey.
I'll also have some Beamish or Guinness, and corned beef, cabbage and root veggies, Yeah, I know that corned beef is much more Ashkanazi than Irish. But it's mighty tasty and efficiently gives me a week's worth of sodium in a single serving. I may also cook up some back bacon and tomatoes for breakfast as another nod to something more traditional. But beyond "sláinte," I'll avoid trying to speak Irish because I'll only embarrass myself. Instead, I'll stick to something simpler, such as "want another pint?"
So, however you say or it celebrate it, Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!
p.s. -- You could take the pot still and traditional Irish thing a step further if you're so inclined and get your mitts on some poitín (po-CHEEN), sometimes spelled poteen. Also known as Irish moonshine, poitín was illegal for over 300 years. It was OK'd for export in 1989 but only sanctioned in Ireland itself in 1997. I've only tried one of the two commerically available brands (Knockeen Hills and Bunratty). It's different. But I'll stick with the whiskey.
Posted by Richard Nagle at 2/24/2009 11:07 AM 
Categories: Red Breast, Bushmills, Jameson, St. Patrick's Day, Poitín
Categories: Red Breast, Bushmills, Jameson, St. Patrick's Day, Poitín
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit - sure
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I love Redbreast! Pure Pot Still Irish whiskey. They way all Irish whiskey used to be made 200 years ago.
Around these parts it is closer to 50 dollars a fifth. Worth it for special occasions to be sure!
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Hi
Actually, single malt scotch whisky is distilled in a pot still. The real difference between pure pot still whiskey and single malt scotch is that the PPS is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley. The enzymes in the malted barley liberate the sugar in the unmalted stuff. It gives it a unique taste.
John
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John:
Thanks very much for that nicely concise correction and clarification to my oversimplified description of pure pot still. I often wonder how much "inside whiskey" info I should include. I've been thinking for a while about an entry or series of entries that don't get so much into the "what" of whiskey making -- terms, processes, etc. -- but maybe the "so what" of all of that in a way that connects to the average drinker. I haven't pursued that idea yet but your comment has me re-examining it. So thanks for that too.
Cheers,
Rich
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Redbreast is all my all around favorite and starting point for me. I'm excited about Paddy available in the US. Great blog.
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