Cellar Tours Blog

Classy St Patrick´s Day Dinner Party Ideas

If dying your hair green, wearing “kiss me, I´m Irish” stickers” and  knocking back whiskey shots in Irish pubs just does not appeal this Paddy´s Day, why not celebrate St Patrick´s day this year with a civilized dinner party with good friends and family?

Here is how we will spending St Patrick´s day (March 17) this year, and it won´t be bacon and cabbage (!):

THE MENU-

Pre dinner cocktail- Irish Mist with ginger ale and lime

Appetizer (starter)- Mixed green salad with Gubbeen chorizo and St Tola´s Organic Goats Cheese.

Entree (Main Course)- Rabbit stew with cider, recipe in Clodagh McKenna´s wonderful Irish Farmer´s Market Cookbook

Side Dish-Irish champ with Clonakilty black pudding (from butcher Edward Twomey) and apple jelly, recipe here.

Dessert - Chocolate Guinness Brownies (Here is a recipe from Northern Irish chef Stephen Jeffers, also featured in this month’s Food and Wine magazine in Ireland)

Wines- the Irish wine geese will be our inspiration and we´ll serve the excellent Concannon Merlot (Livermore Valley) and Reserve de Léoville Barton 2005 (Bordeaux). Sublime. More on Irish American wineries here.

Cheese- the cheese plate will all be delicious Irish farmhouse cheeses like Gubbeen, Durrus and Killeen.

Coffee- Irish Coffee with Jameson Irish whiskey, but of course.

THE MUSIC- Some beautiful Irish music like Kila, Cork native Tim O’Mahony, Moving Hearts The Storm, Lúnasa Otherworld, Cathie Ryan, and Mary Black.

THE TABLE DECORATION- Stephen Pearce Irish pottery (made in County Cork), Kinsale Crystal stemware,  Newbridge silverware (cutlery) and Avoca table linens.

HISTORY OF ST PATRICK’S DAY- Here is a little background on this Irish national holiday and on Saint Patrick himself.

And if you will be in Ireland on St Patrick´s day this year then here are a few wonderful suggestions:

* See Kila live in Dublin on Paddy’s day at the Olympia Theatre. Other Dublin events here.

* Enjoy live music and the festival in Cork city

* Traditional music and a seriously fun atmosphere in Doolin, County Clare