St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a drink raised in celebration. We like to celebrate with a lot more than “a drink”, but we love to party. Ireland’s drinking culture is as legendary as the Shamrock. From iconic beers to a whole lot of whiskey, here’s a rundown of the most popular Irish drinks as well as a few that may sound Irish, but are actually from the United States.
Drinks Born in Ireland
Guinness Stout
The king of Irish brews, Guinness is a dry stout with a creamy head, dark ruby-black color & notes of roasted barley, coffee, and a hint of bitterness. It’s 4.2% ABV and pours with a signature nitrogenated fizz. It also has a very specific ritual to “pour the perfect Guinness”. The process involves filling the glass 75% full at a 45 degree angle, letting is sit and then puring straight into the glass (at a precise temp of 42 degrees).
Ingredients: Barley, hops, yeast, water & time. The roasted barley is key to its distinct flavor.
Brewed since 1759 by Arthur Guinness at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, it’s Ireland’s most famous export. Originally a porter, it evolved into the stout we know today. One of the most interesting things about the history of Guinness is that Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on the brewery. Today, over 10 million pints are poured daily worldwide, spiking on St. Patrick’s Day.
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Smooth, triple-distilled & often blended, Irish whiskey offers a lighter, sweeter profile than its Scotch cousin, with flavors of vanilla, caramel, and spice. Jameson, at 40% ABV, is the poster child.
Ingredients: Malted and unmalted barley, water, and yeast, distilled in copper pot stills.
Ireland claims whiskey’s origin, with monks distilling “uisce beatha” (water of life) as early as the 12th century. Jameson, founded in Dublin in 1780 by John Jameson, cemented its modern fame. By the 19th century, Irish whiskey dominated globally, until Prohibition and trade woes let Scotch steal the spotlight.
Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee is a mix of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and topped with cream, served in a glass mug. It’s boozy, sweet, and caffeinated. The perfect drink for a chilly March day.
Ingredients: Black coffee, 1 oz Irish whiskey (often Jameson), 1-2 tsp brown sugar, heavy cream (some places use whipped cream).
Invented in 1943 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Foynes airbase in County Limerick, to warm up soggy transatlantic passengers. When asked if it was Brazilian coffee, he quipped, “No, it’s Irish coffee!” San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe later popularized it in the U.S.
Baby Guinness
A layered shot mimicking a pint of Guinness with coffee liqueur (like Kahlúa) as the “body,” topped with Irish cream (like Baileys) for the “head.” No actual Guinness involved, but it’s a St. Paddy’s staple.
Ingredients: ¾ oz coffee liqueur, ¼ oz Irish cream, poured carefully to layer.
Born in Irish pubs as a nod to the national stout, its exact origins are murky. It’s more spectacle than tradition, but it’s caught on globally for its looks and sweet kick.
Baileys Irish Cream
A velvety liqueur blending Irish whiskey, cream, and hints of chocolate and vanilla, clocking. Served neat, over ice, or in cocktails.
Ingredients: Irish whiskey, fresh dairy cream, sugar, cocoa extract, and a secret spice blend.
Launched in 1974 by Gilbeys of Ireland in Dublin, Baileys was the first Irish cream liqueur. Created to use surplus dairy and whiskey, it took years to perfect the emulsion—now it’s a holiday must-have, with over 2 billion bottles sold worldwide.
Murphy’s Irish Stout
A rival to Guinness, Murphy’s is a dry stout with a lighter body, less bitterness, and notes of chocolate and caramel.
Ingredients: Malted barley, hops, yeast, water—similar to Guinness but with a gentler roast.
Brewed since 1856 by Murphy’s Brewery in Cork, it’s a local beer that’s gained a cult following.
Drinks That sound Irish, but are actually American traditions
Green Beer
If you head to any major St. Patrick’s Day party, you will probably see some green beers. Made with any light beer (usually lager) and dyed green with food coloring, its a St. Patrick’s Day cliché in the U.S. It doesn’t taste any different than you average light beer, but it adds some green fun to your St. Paddy’s Day parties.
Ingredients: Beer (typically American lager), green food dye.
Not Irish at all. It’s an American invention, traced to 1914 when Dr. Thomas Curtin, a coroner’s physician, debuted it at a New York social club.
Irish Car Bomb
A controversial shot dropped into a pint—a mix of Irish whiskey (like Jameson), Baileys, and Guinness. Chugged fast before it curdles, it’s a boozy bomb indeed.
Ingredients: ½ oz Irish whiskey, ½ oz Baileys, dropped into ¾ pint of Guinness.
Invented in 1979 by Charles Oat at Wilson’s Saloon in Norwich, Connecticut. The name references a touchy history in Ireland, so it isn’t something you will typically find in Ireland.
Shamrock Shake
A mint-green milkshake, creamy and sweet, often topped with whipped cream and a cherry. McDonald’s made it a St. Paddy’s icon.
Ingredients: Vanilla ice cream, milk, mint syrup or flavoring, green food coloring.
History: Launched in 1970 by McDonald’s in the U.S., credited to Connecticut franchisee Hal Rosen. It’s got no Irish roots, so it’s just a marketing nod to the holiday. Ireland’s more about whiskey than shakes.
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