Due to the heavy binge drinking that is closely associated with Saint Patrick's Day, Ireland has gotten somewhat of an unfair reputation in certain corners of the globe, especially in the United States and Canada. While social drinking is certainly commonplace in Ireland, the Irish people per capita do not drink any more than folks anywhere else in the Western World, and it's even quite common to come across Irish people that don't drink at all. The other somewhat bizarre association that has stuck to Ireland and isn't quite accurate, is the green beer, four leaf clovers, and drunken leprechauns. These St. Patrick's Day symbols while fun, have nothing to do with the real Ireland, and are commercial manifestations heavily rooted in the cooperate world, as opposed to Ireland itself. So by all means have fun on St. Patrick's Day, but always bear in mind that Ireland's quite a sane place, pesky leprechauns aside.
If you happen to visit Ireland, there are some things you will want to consider when out drinking. One thing that you should absolutely not do while in the country, is get totally plastered and belligerent, and then start advertising that fact to everyone by stating that your ancestors are Irish. The reason I bring this up, is because I frequently bump into fellow Americans across the globe, that will over drink themselves, and then blame it on being Irish. I'm actually shocked at how frequently I hear this line from people, especially the extremely intoxicated ones. While you might be able to get away with this in your own home country, that will not be the case in Ireland. You're likely to offend actual Irish people, and you'll be showing that you have little respect or understanding of what it means to be Irish. Getting drunk and or belligerent isn't Irish, it's common place anywhere in the world that you go.
Another quick tip for you if you happen to be visiting Ireland, is to never call the Guinness and Bailey's drink combo an Irish Car Bomb. While it's unlikely that you're going to cause any major offense in doing so as the drink is so well known, you will certainly portray yourself as someone extremely insensitive and culturally ignorant. It would be like walking into a New York pub and ordering a September 11th, which as you might imagine isn't going to win you any friends. So if you want to order the drink, simply ask for a Depth Charger, or just order a half pint of Guinness and a half and half shot of Bailey's Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey. There are Irish bartenders that would laugh off the notion of this being offensive, but I have met bartenders that claim they would be offended, particularly folks of the older generation. So keep this in mind when ordering the drink while in Ireland.
The other popular drink that you will probably want to rename if ordering it in Ireland, is the Black and Tan. For those of you that do not know what this is, it is a drink made from a half and half blend of pale ale and dark stout or porter. The reason that you do not want to order it by name in Ireland, is that the British created recipe is heavily rooted in the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, also known as the Black and Tans. This force was sent into Ireland by Winston Churchill, and was responsible for numerous atrocities against the Irish. When in Ireland, simply order a half and half, and you'll get served a beer made of half Harp Lager and half Guinness stout, both Irish beers. Again while you're unlikely to seriously offend someone in Ireland by ordering the Black and Tan, it does show a large degree of insensitivity and cultural ignorance. I hope you'll find these quick tips useful while visiting the island.
