Forget clovers or kisses — St. Paddy's day just wouldn't be the same without Guinness. The Irish stout has been a longtime symbol of the celebration, and for good reason. No doubt part of that has to do with its clever, amusing, and memorable ads, many of which are just as famous as the brew itself. The company's major campaigns didn't kick off until the 1930s but have been going strong ever since. In honor of the holiday, we've rounded up some of our favorites. Take a look, and pick up a pint!
St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow, and the Irish holiday just wouldn't be the same without a pint of Guinness in hand. You may have mastered the stout's double pour, but what do you know about the history of this legendary beer brand? Take the quiz to find out!
Looking for a less traditional — that is, compared to corned beef and cabbage — way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year? These hearty but daintily portioned Guinness-braised beef stew pot pies are just the ticket. Paired with an Irish brew, whiskey (or both), and a side of roasted vegetables, they make for an appropriately celebratory meal perfect for a casual dinner party.
Admittedly, they're a bit of work, but they're hardly challenging to prepare, just slightly time-consuming as braised dishes are by nature. Just plan ahead so that you and yours can dig into a meal to remember. Come evening's end, I can near guarantee that y'all will leave the table satiated, satisfied, all around jolly, and in the Irish spirit.
Adapted from Sam Sifton
Recipe Notes
For a family-style pot pie, pour the stew into a deep 8-by-8-inch square pan, cover with pie dough, and bake slightly longer, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, this stew can be served without a pastry lid alongside a starchy dish like a potato gratin, just make certain to braise the stew for an extra 30 minutes (since it would cook longer while the pie crust browns).
Ingredients
3 pounds brisket or stew meat, chopped into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
10 mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 sprig rosemary
About 4 cups (2 cans) Guinness or other stout
8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
Sherry vinegar, to taste
1 recipe (2 discs) pie dough
1 large egg
Directions
Serves 8.
In America, we'd probably call it an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, but across the Atlantic in the British Isles, it's known as Welsh rarebit (also called Welsh rabbit). The dish consists of a beer and cheese sauce that is poured over a slice of toast. Dating back to 300 years ago, rarebit first made its appearance in taverns across Ireland and England. Who wouldn't want to pair their ale with a cheese toasty?
While there are various renditions of rarebit, this particular recipe features Guinness and Irish cheddar to make it St. Patrick's Day-appropriate. The cheesy spread doesn't look very appetizing after a whirl in the food processor, but after a trip to the broiler, it emerges bubbling, gooey, and impossible to resist. Comforting like the American classic but with bolder flavors from the beer, mustard, and cayenne, it's like a grilled cheese, all grown up.
Whether you're Irish or not, many of us will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by knocking back some Jameson whiskey and a pint or two of Guinness — and don't forget the Irish soda bread! Before you start feeling too bad about the alcohol and carb overload, you'll be glad to know that all those ads from the 1920s that read "Guinness Is Good For You" had some truth to them.
Researchers from a University of Wisconsin study discovered that drinking Guinness reduced blood clots and the risk of heart attacks. Like red wine and dark chocolate, and unlike other beers, Guinness also contains immune-boosting antioxidants. Some other reasons you may want to enjoy a pint of beer on St. Patty's Day: better bones, weight management, and a better memory. This is not a license to go out and get blitzed though. As always, everything is better in moderation, but if you end up kicking back a few too many, check out these hangover cures.
Source: Flickr User Stijn Debrouwere
Creating the perfect black and tan can be hard. If you've never tried to make one, be sure to try it out at home first with no guests to serve. Once you have the technique down, you'll have no trouble trying to re-create this layered beverage for your friends.
There are two different techniques to build the perfect black and tan; I recommend trying both out to see which works best for you.
Pull out your pint glass and slowly pour in the Bass by titling the glass to avoid too much foam. Once the glass is half full, open the Guinness and once again tilt the glass. With a steady hand, pour the Guinness down the side of the glass verrrry slowly.
Another great technique is to pour the Bass into the glass with little to no foam, just like before. Hold a large spoon upside down over the glass and very slowly pour the Guinness over the back of it. Pouring Guinness over the back of a spoon slows the flow of the beer.
Voilà: two ways to pour the perfect black and tan. Still not sure you have it down? Just keep reading for more tips!
For St. Patrick's Day, I already know what I'm serving for dessert: Guinness ice cream! Since spotting the Food & Wine recipe, I've bought an ice cream maker and prepared it twice in one week. With the big green holiday looming in the days ahead, I can only imagine how many more times it'll get made.
Next up: mixing in homemade chocolate-covered pretzels and ribbons of from-scratch fudge sauce. This ice cream is all at once nuanced and full of multifaceted flavor, yet at its heart, simple and comforting. Want the recipe? Then keep reading.
If you went to college or lived near a campus bar, you're undoubtedly familiar with a drink called the Irish car bomb. It's similar to a sake bomb or cement mixer in that it requires choreography: one shot each of Baileys Irish cream liqueur and Irish whiskey are dropped into a pint glass of Guinness stout, and some poor soul downs the entire concoction before the drink can curdle, often while standing on top of the bar. Yowza.
Now, a coed liver might be able to handle that potent combo, but mine certainly cannot, and this weekend I fear being cornered by an overzealous St. Patrick's Day reveler. So when in peril, fight fire with cupcakes!
The brilliance of this recipe is that it both layers and melds the flavors of each liquor, just like the drink that it's based on. The whiskey in the ganache is sharp and bracing, the Baileys soothes as buttercream frosting, and the Guinness gives a moist, malty texture to the chocolate cake.
Of course, if you're not in a boozy mood (or if kids are present), you can leave out the whiskey and Baileys and just ensure that the alcohol cooks off sufficiently in the first step. But for a sweet drink substitute, these cupcakes sure are a shot of wonderful. Keep reading for the recipe
Photo: Lauren Hendrickson
With St. Patrick's Day a week away, I went off in search of a timely tipple to enjoy over the weekend. I found a number of drinks that called for ingredients like vermouth and hazelnut whipped cream; they sounded delicious, but rather contradictory to the rowdy spirit of St. Patty's.
I finally landed on a Guinness milkshake. It embodies the boisterous beer drinking of March 17, with a nostalgic nod to youth. The combination might sound questionable, but I promise that the frothy, chocolaty Guinness is the perfect foil for sweet vanilla ice cream. For the single step recipe, read on.
St. Patrick's Day comes with green food and a whole lot of Guinness beer. If you want to find exciting ways to incorporate this stout into your cooking, you're in luck. We've rounded up our favorite recipes that incorporate Guinness, from beef stew to ice cream.
 Irish Onion Soup |
 Guinness Ice Cream |
 Black and Tan Cocktail |
 Guinness Milkshake |
 Irish Beef and Stout Stew |
 Chocolate Stout Cake |
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