Freedom Flyer: Why Do We Drink Whiskey on St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 every year with parades, parties, alcohol, green food, green outfits, and more green! Many people tend to go all out for this holiday, painting their bodies green and drinking enough whiskey to keep a fat Irish man happy. But many people don’t actually know why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s dive deeper into this unique holiday and why we celebrate it.
So, what is St. Patrick’s Day?
Though this green Irish holiday is festive and lively, it is the anniversary of the death of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick. He died around 460 AD, but this religious holiday honoring Saint Patrick wasn’t established until 1631. Saint Patrick, born in Roman Britain, was known for bringing Christianity to Ireland after being captured by Irish raiders when he was 16.
The holiday we celebrate today is a product of Irish immigrants in America, who established parades in major U.S. cities and continued to grow their population across the country. As their population increased, St. Patrick’s Day festivities became more popular. By the time the 1900s rolled around, Americans everywhere were eating, drinking, and wearing green on March 17! Green is a national symbol of pride for Ireland, which is why this holiday represents this bright, natural grassy color. Parades, leprechauns, and green shamrocks continue to come around every March 17 in honor of Saint Patrick.
Why do we drink whiskey on St. Pat’s?
Now that we understand the history of the holiday, why is Irish whiskey such a popular drink on St. Patrick’s Day? Well, this holiday lands right in the middle of lent, a special occasion where Christians refrain from certain indulgences like drinking alcohol. The church makes an exception for St. Patrick’s Day, which is why drinking is so popular on this holiday. Whiskey and beer are Ireland’s two native drinks. Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled spirits in Europe, and the first record of Irish whiskey dates back to 1405!
Celebrate Irish history with Irish Whiskey and Old Southern Brass’s Patriotic Glassware this March 17!
On St. Patrick’s Day, Irish whiskey is the beverage of choice. Get your Irish pride on and fill your glasses with Jameson, Jack Daniels, or Bushmills! We’ll be celebrating here at Old Southern Brass, too. If you’ll be kicking it at home or hosting a party this March 17, stock your liquor cabinet and collections with a high-quality whiskey glass set in honor of Saint Patrick!
St. Patrick’s Day whiskey will go perfectly in an Old Southern Brass patriotic whiskey rocks glass or special bullet glassware. Our personalized whiskey rocks glass collection boasts the thin blue line and makes a statement with the 2nd amendment. You’ll be happy to trust our whiskey rocks glass to hold 10 ounces of your favorite Irish whiskey. Show your patriotic side as you celebrate red, white, and green for St. Pat’s!
If you want to get a little wild on this energetic party holiday, you might be interested in our bullet whiskey shot glasses! Also engraved with different patriotic symbols and quotes, our whiskey bullet shot glasses come with an authentic, .308 copper projectile embedded into their sides. Make a bold statement this year as you honor Saint Patrick, and more importantly, Irish whiskey.
Our decanter whiskey set collection is perfect if you’re having friends over on this green holiday. Engraved with the thin blue line, 2nd amendment, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Declaration of Independence, and more, our decanter whiskey set will serve you and your buddies on St. Patrick’s Day or any other special occasion! Who knows, you just might find a pot of gold at the base of this whiskey decanter this March 17…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, whiskey lovers!