Ideas to Celebrate St. Paddy’s
Sláinte! St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th, and we’re already looking for inspiration to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick. Here are a few ideas for your hosting playbook:
Host a beer tasting party
When we came back from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail a few years ago, we hosted a bourbon tasting party for our friends. It was a total hit. We created a printable tasting map with circles. In each of the circles, we jotted down the name of the bourbon (in this case, you’ll put down the names of the beers) and 2-3 tasting notes. Set clear plastic cups on each circle to hold each beer tasting.
For the tabletop (in this case, our island) I filled short glass vases (like these and these) with the dry ingredients of bourbon (corn, barley, etc.) and topped each with a white votive candle (like these or these flameless ones). You can use hops, barley, etc. Most of these can be found easily at your grocery store. Pro tip: Remember the rules of odds: decorate in odd numbers. You’ll probably want to group your vases in threes.
Pick a green or gold signature cocktail
Think outside of the box and go for the gold, like this cocktail that includes two of my favorites: ginger beer and elderflower liquer. This cream-based cocktail is definitely something unique. It looks so elegant with one oversized cube (try these trays from Williams Sonoma).
If you do go green, kick them up a notch with these Chartreuse cocktails from Food & Wine.
Serve bites inspired by the Irish
I love taking main course meals and turning them into bite-sized versions. You can do this with so many dishes. Here are a few classic Irish dishes just waiting to be downsized:
Shepherd’s Pie – serve them in ramekins like these for hearty individual servings
Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread
Soda Bread Biscuits
If you’re looking for something simple
You can’t go wrong with green pancakes – all it takes is a little food dye or the addition of spinach or kale, as in this recipe.
For something subtler, try making an herb butter by mixing in some fresh, green herbs. Here’s a good recipe.
For your table
Photo: Caspari
You can also play around with your tableware. Swoozie’s and Caspari have some great St. Patrick’s Day finds.
My rule-of-thumb: don’t go overboard. Keep it elegant, even if you’re simply hosting breakfast for your family. There’s no need to bring out Leprechaun-printed paper plates, bright green napkins, and top them with green doilies and orange plastic forks, after all. Most of the items you can decorate your table with are probably in your entertaining closet already.
Use natural rattan chargers or gold chargers. Top them with your basic white porcelain plates, fold a bright green napkin (like these at Crate and Barrel), and voila! Bonus points if you have a lovely set of gold bamboo flatware to go along with it. If you’re craving more of that green, add 1950s/60s-inspired green glass goblets in a lighter tint.
Photo: Pinterest
The floral element
I’m on a green-and-purple kick right now. I just love the floral combination. If that’s too bold for you, stick with a basic green and white, or go monochromatic and opt for loads of greenery and green blooms.
