When St. Patrick’s Day comes around, it’s a tradition that was once considered (and still is by many) religious and sacred. The idea of green beer and Irish car bombs had yet to be created, however, the thought of St. Patrick chugging a Guinness makes me chuckle
Fun Fact: St. Patrick was actually British! He was kidnapped and held by Irish raiders for six years until he escaped, then fled back to Britain where he became a minister. Later, he had dreamt that the Irish needed a missionary to teach the Christian faith, so he went back and taught most of the Irish population while incorporating their own religious beliefs and traditions. He created the Celtic cross by adding the symbolic Irish sun because he knew how important the traditional symbols were to the Irish people.
For those of us who are faux-Irish, we honor St. Patrick in the time-honored tradition of chugging green beer, pinching one another, and drunkenly singing “Danny Boy,” arms linked, swaying on barstools.
In the spirit of the holiday, I ran all around Tallahassee looking for the best places to go in case you found yourself at home, sadly wearing your four-leaf clover headband and wondering what to do since all of your friends are on their way back from Mexico (Spring Break and St. Patrick’s day are the same week – talk about a rough finish).
In the style of Tally event planning, everything is always figured out right at the last minute. How many Friday nights have you had five different invites but went with the sixth option that came out of nowhere? If your answer was, “too many,” you’re not alone. Those of you who were here last year will know places like Status Liquors on Tennessee Street and Potbelly’s on College Ave are going to be up to no good. Last year, their 30 hour, all-you-can-drink green beer specials had many-a-strong drinker on the floor slurring songs about Irish eyes smiling. If that type of partying interests you, but you’re not a fan of Status, there’s always the Strip (also on Tennessee Street). The Strip is home to a huge St. Patrick’s Day blowout that includes live music, more green beer (because you can never get enough, apparently), and all kinds of other alcohol. As March 17th falls on the last day of Spring Break and it’s a Sunday, there’s always Sunday Funday at AJ’s to look forward to. Luckily, if that’s a bust, you can head over to Coliseum next to CVS on Tennesssee Street for their first “Everybody’s Irish” event starting at 10 pm. Wearing green isn’t a requirement, but who likes a buzz kill?
For a classier locale, check out Proof or Prime Time. Prime Time is a new sports bar and is known for being the only bar in Florida to feature “frost top bars”; a technology that assures you your drink will always be cold. Proof makes sure that you will have something to drink with their wide range of beer on tap and full bar.
Finally, for the 21+ crowd, Bullwinkle’s Saloon always does their $10 all-you-can-drink special from 6:30 AM – 2 AM the following morning! All these locations are on Tennessee Street and a hop, skip, and a jump away from one another (or would it be an Irish dance?).
Last, but not least, are those of you who were like me my first two years here: underage and not a drinker. Alas, no worries! Hang out in downtown Tallahassee for a parade, a marathon race (if you’re into that kind of thing), and maybe a delicious treat from Lucy and Leo’s Cupcakery. Last year, their cupcakes were delicious renditions of popular Irish drinks.
Whether you’re Irish forever or just for St. Patrick’s Day, remember to be safe and smart. If you find yourself too scared to go out, prop yourself in front of a window with some corned beef and hash (no, not that kind of hash) and watch the madness unfold. But don’t forget to wear some green, and may the luck o’ the Irish be with you!