St Patrick's Brew?

[John Sand]

I modified the Irish Red from BCS. Brewed it in January, two years after the first time I made it. I call it Maureen O'Hara, for the legendary actress. We had our Parade in Rocky Point today, it was lovely, 60 degrees, fun. A dozen people to dinner after, lots of Corned Beef, Cabbage, etc. And the Red was a hit. A couple of people asked for just a taste, I used brewery sample glasses. Then they wanted pints. My wife's cooking was excellent, everyone had fun, we put a dent in that keg. Did you make anything special for St Patrick? Attending a parade? Other tradition?

[bpgreen]

lots of Corned Beef, Cabbage, etc.

You may already be aware of this, but corned beef and cabbage is an American Irish tradition, not a true Irish tradition. In Ireland, cattle were work animals, and cabbage wasn't really eaten much. It was mostly potatoes, and if they used meat, it was usually pork.

But in America, potatoes and pork were expensive. And the Irish were often in the same poor areas as other ethnic groups, and corned beef was close to what they remembered as cured pork, but much less expensive. And cabbage was much more affordable than potatoes.

So, instead of a stew made of potatoes and salt pork, they used corned beef and cabbage.

[John Sand]

We had potatoes too, so I think we're safe!
I appreciate the information. America changed a lot of traditions, on both sides of the Atlantic. Interestingly, potatoes were imported from the New World, they did not originate in Europe. Neither did tomatoes. But I think that quintessential American fruit, the apple, was brought here from Europe. Times change.

[bpgreen]

We had potatoes too, so I think we're safe!
I appreciate the information. America changed a lot of traditions, on both sides of the Atlantic. Interestingly, potatoes were imported from the New World, they did not originate in Europe. Neither did tomatoes. But I think that quintessential American fruit, the apple, was brought here from Europe. Times change.

Don't get me wrong. My maternal grandfather was born here, but spoke with a brogue.

We ate corned beef and cabbage every St Patrick's day, even if it fell on a Friday, when eating meat was forbidden for Catholics.

My paternal grandfather spoke German until he started kindergarten (ironic, since kindergarten is German).

My mom used to joke (I think it was a joke) that she wouldn't have been allowed to date my dad if my grandfather realized that Green used to be Gruen.

[John Sand]

Interesting too, I enjoy learning history, and culture. My mother's family is Italian. Her father once commented that it was probably "okay" that my father wasn't Italian.
My father was Lithuanian/Welsh-American. His father spoke Lithuanian, but my father was raised in Yorkville NYC, and picked up German phrases from that neighborhood. All of the names were changed on both sides. One story was that the Italian name was changed at Ellis I., but my great-grandfather and his brother jumped ship. They may not have been literate, or maybe didn't want to use the old name for fear of being caught. My Lithuanian grandfather was one of thirteen children, but he got in trouble and changed that name too. My wife's maternal grandfather ran away from some kind of orphanage/work farm in Canada, and took a name from a tombstone. We don't know who the heck we are.

[mashani]

My German ancestors were here before here was a country. They were active in the revolutionary war later. My Italian (Sicilian actually, which if you have Italian in you, you know is *alright* but not the same LOL) came over on a boat in the late 1800s. My English/Celtic side then too. My Polish/Russian/Slavic side came over in the early 1900s. Yes, I am a mutt. But all of them had Viking genes. I have the genetic disorders to prove it. So I call myself a Viking.

Mostly my grandparents spoke English. Mostly. Lets just say I learned to swear and cuss in Italian, German, and Polish, and Northumbrian English dialect. I can swear and cuss in Yiddish too, but that's just because of where I live. Other then swearing and cussing, and expressions of general angst or bodily functions or food/kitchen related terms my ability to speak in those languages is limited however. I can read/listen and understand random things.

White potatoes are called "Ferengi" potatoes in many places. Ferengi = Foreigner, not some star trek alien . In those places sweet potatoes or yams are the native plant. Where those are actually our "Ferengi" potatoes.

And yeah, apples here are from Europe. But the apples from Europe were probably imported from the China/Asia and neighboring parts of the Middle East. So they are doubly foreign to us. And some of our current apples are crosses between more modern American varieties and Asian varieties. So they are mutts too. It's likely but not known for sure that the Romans brought apples with them and cultivated them everywhere they went. Sort of like Jonny Appleseed, except a whole army of them. They also brought the ancestor of the type of dog you see in my avatar with them to herd and guard their sheep. Those dogs bred with all the local dogs and so now we have lots of types of collies and collie like dogs because of it. And I like any collie type/herding dog I've ever met. So that's a good thing. So because of them, we have this:



Many types of berries that were used to make hedge rows on farms came from Europe too. But cranberries are ours. Hurray!

Oh and as far as "St. Patrick's Brew", I've been saving the last of my Irish Reds to drink on his day. But nothing new in that regards in the pipeline.

[FedoraDave]

My little town hosts the second-largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York State. Seriously, only the parade down Fifth Ave. in Manhattan is larger than ours. And we have such a large Irish population, that I've heard the town referred to as the "Irish Riviera."

I tend to ignore the parade; it just seems like a lot of hoopla, and the streets all around my house are clogged with parked cars for the entire day, so I just stay home. My brother lives along the parade route, so he only has to look out his living room window to watch the parade pass by.

No special meals or anything, but I do have a keg of 2Daves Irish Red that I've been tapping for a week or so. That's as much celebrating as I care to do.

[John Sand]

Interesting stuff. Our Parade is probably the largest on Long Island, maybe second. I started going because my wife is involved in civics and local government, she marches, I watch. This year I met another home-brewer at the event, he is a friend's cousin. I generally don't drink at the parade, be he was anxious to share an IPA he had in a stainless vacuum bottle. It was good.

[Kealia]

I've never been a big St Patty Day celebrator. Even in college, it just wasn't a HUGE drinking day. Maybe it's a California thing?

I do have a Guinness or two in the back of my fridge so maybe I'll crack one open to 'celebrate'. On the other hand, something hoppy would work ,too - hops are green!