[caption id="attachment_1638" align="aligncenter" width="267" caption="Irish Coffee"] [/caption] Buckets of green beer are for the young and foolhardy. St. Patrick's Day deserves a grownup Irish drink made with Irish whiskey, or Bailey's, or Irish Mist, splashed over ice into Waterford crystal glasses, or warmed in sugar-rimmed coffee mugs. Yum. A more civilized elixir could still result in table-slamming rounds of Wild Rover after someone busts out the spoons and everyone remembers how to do the jig, with a tear shed for the long-ago famine-afflicted souls of " County-Mayo-God-help-us", but this part is entirely up to you. Irish cocktail lore Our friends from ThatstheSpirit.com have the best info on Irish drinks:

• The truth about Irish Whiskey - so if you're the rambling type, you'll have something to impress your guests with;
• The history behind Irish Coffee - hot drinks created to take the chill out of the cold, Irish-style;
• Irish toasts and sayings - just in case that extra round is called for.

Irish cocktail recipes from ThatstheSpirit.com:

• Irish Shillelagh - nice and fruity, possibly packs an unassuming whollop like a real shillelagh;
• Irish Buck - Whiskey. ginger-ale. lemon peel. Buck!;
• Irish Rainbow -  you might have to kick away a few roving leprechauns;
• and more! - "tu-ra-lu-ra-lur-a...."

This Thursday I intend to make this tasty  Irish Soda Bread, slathered with as much Kerrygold Butter as I please, a healthy dram of Jameson's on ice, and one clapping round of Whiskey in the Jar. Maybe two.  Sláinte! What are you doing for St. Patrick's Day?