Why does the world remember Saint Patrick with beer and whiskey every March 17?
A sommelier explains the difference between Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey and reviews the history behind St. Patrick’s Day festivities around the world.
The St. Patrick ‘s Day is a celebration that takes place every March 17 in the world. It is a festival of Christian origin that commemorates the death of Saint Patrick of Ireland.
Most of you have ever heard in Uruguay about tonight’s festivities: before the arrival of the pandemic, the bars dressed in green, as did many visitors, and the beer mugs, whiskey and drinks ran, many of them also green.
As with other festivities, many people join the outings or festivities without really knowing what is being celebrated. And although this 2021 there will be no large meetings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps within the family bubbles there will be a small toast in memory of Saint Patrick.
The big question is: how do you get from a commemoration of a saint to parties where there is no lack of beer or whiskey?
Claudia Piedrabuena, sommelier and ambassador of the Pernod brand for Uruguay and Argentina, spoke with El País and shared some details about this date.
“Saint Patrick is the patron of Ireland. He was a bishop who evangelized the entire Irish region. He was conquering even the pagans and turning them into Christians”, explained Piedrabuena.
The bishop died on March 17, 461, although modern research suggests it was around 493. But the important thing is that it was March 17 and that is why it is the day he is remembered.
“What Saint Patrick does especially in the southern region of Ireland is create monasteries. Thus he begins to develop the Christian community and to appoint bishops. It is in these places precisely where the brewing begins, fermenting the barley. Later, with this evangelization and going through different regions, the stills, which are distillers, reached the monasteries through the Egyptians. The eastern settlers distilled perfumes more than anything, but it occurred to the monks to distill beer and that’s where the origin of whiskey comes from”.
Whiskey or Whiskey? Irish is known as “whiskey” and the so-called “whiskey” is Scottish.
The expert added that although there is some dispute between the Scots and the Irish to call themselves creators of this drink, “it was Saint Patrick who brought that distiller to Ireland and it was there that they began to distill beer and create Irish whiskey.”
Piedrabuena explained that Irish whiskey is characterized by its triple distillation and being doubly smooth, making it ideal both to consume it alone, with ice or to prepare different cocktails.
This drink “acquires much sweeter, vanilla notes, as well as fruit and makes it easier to consume. Another important difference with Scotch whiskey is that in Irish, when malted barley is made, Scotch peat is not used; So it is not so smoky, it is much friendlier. The toasted notes that an Irish whiskey can have come from aging in the barrels only”.
Due to these characteristics, the drink is also perfect to consume as an aperitif, accompanying a brunch or preparations such as hamburgers, rustic potatoes or goats.
Why the green and the shamrock characteristic of this date? Because Saint Patrick explained the Holy Trinity with the clover.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations suspended around the world
The celebrations for Saint Patrick will be different this year, given the spread of the coronavirus. In Uruguay for more than a decade the meetings in pubs and bars have been growing, but this time only small toasts should be made.
The same thing happens in other parts of the world : New York will cancel the parade for the first time in its 258-year history, scheduled for next week.
New York’s decision joins that of other parades such as those in Dublin, Chicago or Boston that have already announced their cancellation.
Hundreds of thousands of people attend the parade in New York each year, which has been held in the city of skyscrapers since 1762, making it a celebration of Ireland’s oldest patron in the world.