With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, you might be thinking about four-leaf clovers, the color green, or stout beer. St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland—back in the 17th century—and Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick. It’s often observed by churches of various denominations, but it’s also seen as a day to celebrate Irish culture and heritage in general. It’s a day for donning emerald green attire and shamrocks and making your way to a St. Patrick’s Day parade or festival, or even the nearest Irish pub.
One of our favorite ways to celebrate is by whipping up some classic and traditional Irish recipes right at home. With Ireland’s cooler climate, beef stew is a great way to warm up after a chilly and blustery day. Soda bread is a staple you can find on the table at any given time, but it makes an especially good breakfast or snack with afternoon tea. A little more modern and popular in recent years, stout Guinness beer and chocolate come together to make rich and decadent desserts. So, if you can’t make it to a parade or festival this St. Patrick’s Day, indulge in your own festivities by giving these recipes a try.
Clover Whiskey Sour
With a shamrock lookalike as the finished garnish, this Irish-inspired cocktail has St. Patrick’s Day written all over it. Grab an Irish whiskey, like Jameson or Tullamore D.E.W., and some washed and dried clovers. (Yes, clovers or wood sorrel sourced right from your yard—it’s edible! Just make sure it hasn’t been sprayed with any pesticides.) Forget the green-tinted beer this year and celebrate with a festive homemade cocktail instead!
Get the recipe for Clover Whiskey Sour.
Guinness Beef Stew
For our take on this classic Irish stew, we tried to keep the recipe as simple as possible, with just a few herbs, and most of the flavor coming from the ingredients themselves. Traditional Irish stews call for either beef or lamb, and either will work well here. Plus, this stew is filled with tons of root vegetables, like carrots, onions, and potatoes. And yes, it also has a full can of Guinness. A long cooking time allows the stew to work its magic. The meat becomes tender and delicious and the flavors meld, making this stew incredibly delicious any time of the year, but especially for St. Patrick’s Day.
Get the recipe for Guinness Beef Stew.
Shamrock Soda Bread
In Ireland, soda bread is a staple in many kitchens that’s enjoyed all times of day, any day of the year. It’s a rustic quickbread that uses buttermilk and baking soda instead of yeast, so you don’t have to fool with a rise time. It has a tender interior, usually dotted with dried fruit, and a crisp, crackling exterior. Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a midday snack, soda bread goes with pretty much any meal. It’s a great option to serve along with stew to sop up the broth. Here, we used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create clover leaves, which produces the cutest soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day!
Get the recipe for Shamrock Soda Bread.
Fudgy Stout Brownies
While these aren’t necessarily a traditional Irish dessert, chocolate and stout are a very popular flavor combination come St. Patrick’s Day. And a celebratory meal deserves a fun and festive dessert, and that’s what these brownies were made for. Guinness has those dark, smooth coffee and caramel undertones that work so well with chocolate and really amplify the flavor. (You could also use any dark, stout Irish beer.) This recipe results in a fudgy brownie that you might even like more than your favorite regular brownies! Top with some flaky sea salt for a truly elevated and delicious St. Patrick’s Day treat.
