So I'm taking my first trip to Ireland in January- Dublin to be specific. It's a quick trip with family.
I have a somewhat dumb, maybe weird question.
Do pubs serve anything other than whiskey and beer for alcohol? I am a drinker, but just not those two items. More of a tequila and vodka drinker, but I figure tequila would not be available :)
Then would ya be liking a wee dram of Jameson? No worries, quenching your thirst should not be a problem, whatever your poison. Tequila may be a bit exotic and command a higher price, due primarily to the inability of the Irish to grow agave plants, but I'm sure they got it.
If Pub #1 doesn't have your spirit (or even your particular brand) then Pub #2 down the street probably will. While historically Guinness = Beer, Coors Light of all things is widely available now, and is brewed in Cork. At a larger pub, cocktails wouldn't be out of the question.
If you want none of the above, try Cider. In addition to regular hard apple cider, there are pear and other fruit flavored varieties.
oh yes....CIDER.....before it got trendy in the US, the Irish had perfected it. I found nice wine available throughout Ireland, but also try an Irish coffee some damp windy day.....(yeah, its whisky, but its also cream, and sugar and coffee.....oh my
I don't remember going into any pub (and I went into a lot of them) and not seeing dozens and dozens of bottles lined up on the shelves. I think you can get just about anything. Lots of food too and live music. Go to Temple Bar (a street in the center) and do your own pub crawl. If you don't like the music at one, then go on to the next. Have lunch (thick soup with Irish soda bread) and a pint of cider. Then find another one for dinner. And take the Literary Pub Crawl Tour.
Thanks everyone! I will for sure try cider.
We're staying next The Cobblestone so I'm looking forward to nights of music. We plan on spending every night in a mini pub crawl!
I figured large bars or hotel bars would have a selection but was afraid smaller pubs would not.
Tequila is a hit and miss in most pubs. It's very expensive. Vodka you can find just about anywhere, but don't expect there to mix-drinks. Ireland's idea of a mix-drink for the most part is handing you a shot of something and then lining up a row of sodas and juices for you to mix into your drink yourself.
That said they also have white and red wine avaiable at the majority of pubs as well.
If you do try the cidars in Ireland order them with ice in the glass. It helps with the taste and the headache you'll have from them the next morning. Cheers :-)
Agree with Emma. You must give Guinness a try. Watch them pour it. Let it settle. A thing of beauty. Nectar of the Gods. Slainte!
A public service message.
Interesting discussion. Do we seek out familiar fooid and drink like what we get back home or do we experience local, i.e. foreign, cuisine when we travel? I am inclined to use the Rick Steves thought that if we want to stay in American style hotels, why travel as also applicable to food and drink. Give what the locals enjoy a try, then go back to vodka if you need a little more alcohol.
I will for sure be trying local stuff.
But I'm a drinker, and plan on having quite the evening one or two nights out, so therefore I want some of my poison of choice :)
Emma, thanks for the heads up and egads NO! I am a reposado fan and don't generally touch anything that a college student would slam.
I'm REALLY looking forward to trying the cider, Guinness and a whiskey or two.
Cider has about the same alcohol content as beer. Irish whiskey is similar to bourbon, not at all like scotch. If you're not a beer drinker, then take a sip of someone else's Guinness (or ask the bartender for a little taste) before ordering a pint.
If you're not a beer drinker....
The Irish and British pull Imperial Pints (20 oz). If you are a novice beer drinker or haven't walked a mile or two to get to the pub, consider ordering a half pint including the foam.
I just returned from a 10 day Ireland trip and there is a good variety of beverages available-the hard cider is delicious. I especially liked Magner's and Bulmer's Ciders(I think they're made by the same company). You can order a pint or a glass, the glass being the smaller serving. Soft drinks and water are also available.
A bit off topic, but if you are going to be in Dublin, Devitt's pub has a regular Friday night traditional music session(upstairs fromt the main pub), and our group thoroughly enjoyed it.
Magners and Bulmers are exactly the same. Magners is the name it's sold under in the UK; Bulmers in Ireland. A "glass" is a half-pint, just the terminology they tend to use in Ireland. There are other flavors of cider, usually sweeter, all in bottles.
