Green beer. Yes, admit it, you’ve probably had it as its the pinnacle of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in America. You can have it March 17, which is St. Patrick’s Day, at many local establishments such as Rapscallion Seafood House & Bar. You can make your own emerald-colored beer (even without the use of food coloring) by watching this easy step-by-step video tutorial.
Support local bars
Whether you’ll be grabbing a Guinness, or an ice cold green beer, you’ll have options!
There are many Irish bars in the Reno-Tahoe area that are sure to be stocked with beer, thirsty, rowdy patrons, and, often, live music! Check out Ceol Irish Pub at 538 S. Virginia St. in Reno, Murphy’s Law Irish Pub at 180 W. Peckham in Reno, Filthly McNasty’s Irish Bar at 1718 Holcomb Ave. in Reno, O’Cleary’s at 1310 Scheels Drive, #250 in Sparks, and McP’s Pub at 4125 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.
P.S. There are several others in Reno, Sparks, Tahoe, and Carson City.
You can also celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by attending a local beer crawl, hitting as many pubs in your long green and white striped socks as humanly possible. The big Leprechaun Crawl in Downtown Reno will be March 12. If you attend, you’ll be one of the many leprechauns roaming the streets with a green crawl cup in hand. The cup gets you discounts at over 70 bars, clubs, and restaurants within walking distance. Reserve your cup online here.
Not a beer person? Try making this Frozen Mudslide Pudding Shot with Irish cream liquor from Sue Pursel, bartender/owner of Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City.
Get some grub
We’re not all about the beer. We also love great food! And although we love the traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage meal, we also are willing to try new things… like Rocky Mountain oysters (beef and sheep testicles).
Attend the Virginia City Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival on March 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where professional and amateur cooks compete to create delicious and creative dishes utilizing Rocky Mountain oysters. The festival features a beer garden, live Irish music, individual and team ball-eating contests, a parade, and the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl.
Maybe sheep testicles aren’t your thing? Instead, head to Rapscallion Seafood House & Bar March 17 to savor corned beef and cabbage, along with plenty of green beer. Rapscallion is at 1555 S. Wells Avenue in Reno. The Pink House in Genoa will be serving classic corned beef and cabbage, along with specials such as Irish Nachos (housemade tortilla chips with shredded corned beef, spicy slaw, an artisan cheese blend, and pico de gallo) and The Paddy Panini (corned beef, Comté cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and coleslaw on marble rye).
Photo courtesy Simply Recipes website.
If you want to elevate your holiday even more, head to the Guinness Tullamore D.E.W. Spirited Dinner at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno March 17. Each course includes a special beer pairing. The menu is available online, and includes Glazed Sockeye Salmon with Orange-Scented Lentils, Lemon Thyme, and Brown Butter Braised Radishes, paired with “Cliodhna’s Wave” Cocktail featuring Tullamore D.E.W. Original.
You can also visit Harrah’s Lake Tahoe for the Annual Tahoe Douglas Rotary’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Community Hero Awards. The Community Hero Awards recognize outstanding local police, fire professionals, and others who serve our community. When you attend, you can enjoy a full Irish buffet dinner and wine bar.
Whatever you end up doing to celebrate, we hope you have a stellar St. Patrick’s Day!
