It’s Not Easy Being Green
On March 17th – if it’s not green, it’s not happenin’! In the United States, the festivities surrounding St. Patrick’s Day include all things green – green clothes, green party décor, and, of course, green beer. Today all it takes to make an emerald ale is just a couple of drops of food coloring, but a century ago, when Americans first hailed the green brew, the ingredients were a wee bit toxic! The first introduction to green beer happened in New York City around 1914, and as the story goes, a club owner wanted to make his St. Patty’s party more festive by making everything he served the color of the lucky Irish – including his hops. However, the secret ingredient to his green concoction was just as shocking to his partygoers as the color of the drink itself. He used an iron-based laundry whitener called “Wash Blue” to turn the drinks green, and as he assured his patrons there wasn’t enough detergent to cause them harm, their concerns seemed to lessen with every emerald sip! Luckily he was right, and not only did his guests live to die another day, but the colorful tradition that this bar owner came up with was here to stay!
If you’re looking to go out and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, Reno, Sparks, and the Lake Tahoe area all have Irish pubs where you can enjoy the day in style. You’ll find Irish food and drinks, live music, Irish dancers, and maybe even bagpipers, depending on where you go.
| Irish Pubs and Bars in Reno | Irish Pubs and Bars in Sparks |
| Ryan’s Saloon and Broiler | O’Skis Pub & Grille |
| Lucke’s Saloon | Paddy and Irene’s Irish Pub |
| Shea’s Tavern | |
| Shenanigan’s Olde English Pub | Irish Pubs and Bars at Lake Tahoe |
| Ole Bridge Pub | Auld Dubliner Irish Pub Palisades Tahoe |
| Filthy McNasty’s Irish Bar | McP’s Taphouse Grill |
Be sure to contact the venue before March 17th to confirm their hours of operation and COVID considerations.
No matter the color of your beer this St. Patrick’s Day, remember to drink responsibly! The RTC is marking its 18th year of providing its FREE Safe RIDE Program to help people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day responsibly.
If you’d like more insight on what to do around Reno, or want to chat about the current fast-moving real estate market, contact the David Morris Group at (775) 828-3292.
