An Irish band entertains LA bar goers at Tam O’Shanter for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Photo by Tam O’Shanter on Instagram.
By Julia McIntyre, Staff Reporter
Keep your eyes out for pots of gold at the end of a rainbow, St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. If you don’t have the luck of the Irish, you can always settle for a green beer at the bar.
Many bars get into the Irish spirit around St. Paddy’s Day, creating fun spots for bar crawls and using green dye to turn your favorite alcohol green. It’s an exciting way to celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. That’s right, it is not only a day to drink as much as you can, but visiting a pub is definitely a way to feel lucky.
Long Beach has a large St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl and block party on March 18 that starts at The Harbor, a bar on Pine Avenue. There are over 10 bars to visit during the crawl, all located along Pine. A few of the pubs include Agaves Kitchen, Shannon’s Pub and Congregation Ale House where special drinks are included on their menus for the event.
Hollywood also has a pub crawl with multiple venues and Irish themed drinks on March 17 and 18. It starts at Cabo Cantina on Hollywood Boulevard and includes multiple LA hotspots and special menu items. There are exclusive drink deals as well as an optional VIP entry for the bars.
If drinking for over five hours during a crawl beside a crowd of over 100 people is not your scene, you could always have a mellow St. Patrick’s Day night at a year round Irish themed bar. Tam O’Shanter is a Scottish-themed restaurant and bar located in LA with a cozy feel serving a wide variety of whiskeys and traditional Irish meals to heat you up. But don’t get too comfy, Tam O’Shanter makes sure to bring the party occasionally with live Irish bands.
To hit a vibe in between a block party and a mellow night is Rock & Reilly’ s Irish Pub. This bar in West Hollywood brings a modern, laid back feel to the table all while playing danceable tunes. The menu is not limited to only whiskey, but beer as well and meals with a touch of Ireland.
For anyone who wants to truly indulge in Irish traditions, you can get a taste of Dublin at an Irish family owned bar for over 50 years. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub on Fairfax Avenue in LA is famous for having cameos in movies such as “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Patriot Games,” and “Life Without Dick.” Irish culture bleeds through the walls of the pub filled with paintings by Irish painter Neil Boyle. The menu includes traditional food from Ireland as well as Irish alcoholic drinks and coffee. Live bands play at the bar for entertainment, both Irish and modern.
St. Patrick’s Day is great to let loose with friends and family and dip your toes in Ireland’s traditional drinks, food and music. Make sure to wear green to avoid getting pinched, watch out for pots of gold and never drink and drive. The leprechauns are watching.
