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Every year on March 17, everyone likes to reach deep down and find their inner Irish heritage (even if there’s none to be found). There’s something about wearing green, toasting leprechauns and drinking before noon that seems to bring out the best in everyone.

St. Patrick’s Day began as a religious holiday in Ireland over one thousand years ago, and it has slowly morphed into a worldwide holiday that is a celebration of all things Irish. We think this is great, but there is one thing we have a bit of a beef with: crappy St. Patrick’s Day drinks. We know green beer and green Jell-O shots are just supposed to be festive, but they’re in no way an authentic Irish tradition. And if there’s one thing you should never mess with, it’s Irish drinking culture; it’s one of the most wonderful institutions in the world. Why would you mess with it by adding green food coloring?

If you want to keep it real when you decide to imbibe today, reach for a class Irish drink that will help you celebrate the true spirit of St. Paddy’s Day:

Guinness:  Skip the green beer and grab a pint of Guinness. It’s about as Irish as you can get, but it’s available everywhere, meaning you have no excuse not to drink it.

Irish Coffee: Real Irish Coffee is the stuff dreams are made of and it’s made from strong, hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and lightly whipped double cream. Joe Sheridan, the man who created Irish Coffee back in 1942 near Limerick, Ireland, said true Irish Coffee ingredients are as follows: Cream – Rich as an Irish Brogue, Coffee – Strong as a Friendly Hand, Sugar – Sweet as the tongue of a Rogue, and Whiskey – Smooth as the Wit of the Land.

Bulmers Cider (Magners Irish Cider): Bulmers is original Irish Cider and 17 different types of apples are grown in their orchards in Clonmel, Ireland to make a worldwide favorite. It’s known as Bulmers in Ireland, but in the U.S. you’ll find it under the name Magners (named after the guy who founded the company).

Irish Whiskey: With Irish Whiskey’s popularity on the rise across the U.S., you’ll have no trouble finding a decent bottle. If you’re not sure what brand to go for, you can ask your bartender what they have, or go for the classics: Bushmills or Jameson.

There are many more traditional Irish drinks, but these few are a good place to start. What’s your favorite authentic Irish alcoholic drink?

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