Drink With Pride This St. Patrick's Day

"St. Patrick -- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish."

-Charles M. Madigan

With the damn Erin Express wreaking havoc throughout The Best Beer Drinking City in America it got me thinking of better ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day for those of us who prefer just a bit of dignity while acting Irish this Thursday. Just say no to green beer and resist the urge to guzzle Guinness after Guinness. There are other options out there for the thirsty masses that would make St. Patrick proud.

I've put together a few of my favorite alternatives here for anyone in need of an escape from the same old same old this St. Patrick's Day:

Great Lakes - Conway's Irish Ale

  Sweet caramel malt and nutty/doughy flavors but still smooth and oh so drinkable.

 Cigar City - Patio Tools

 Rich and creamy yet dry and roasty with a kick of bitter chocolate thrown in there.

Sly Fox - O'Reilly's Stout

  Easy to drink without being weak. Great coffee and malt flavors with a hint of smoke.

O'Hara's - Dry Irish Stout

A bit of a sweeter stout with dry coffee overtones, surprisingly light bodied and sessionable.

Victory - Donnybrook Stout

Felt compelled to add this but my real advice would be to man up and grab a Storm King.

Sierra Nevada - Stout

A classic and underrated American Stout...dark chocolate and toasted malts dominate with a bitter backbone.

Sly Fox - Seamus' Irish Red

Sweet and malty, a great take on the style with no bitterness to be found. A little earthy and grainy.

Guinness - Foreign Extra Stout

 Much more enjoyable than their Draught which I find watery. Full, roasted, bready, with a shockingly bitter finish.

Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy

  For the ballsy St. Patty's Day drinker. I love this one but can get in a bit of trouble with it. If you're not in for a marathon on Thursday grab one of these and enjoy.

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Just a few suggestions to mix it up this St. Patrick's Day. With a couple exceptions they are all pretty easy to drink so I don't want to hear any complaining and in any case...quality over quantity.

Choose wisely.

Cheers!