Chrija02: Hello. I've been to Ireland five times. You could drink tea in an Irish pub, and nobody will judge you. In other words, it doesn't matter what you drink in an Irish pub. Patrons are generally accepting of visitors, I have found. (Of course, there are exceptions, such as a rougher, working-class pub I once went to in Limerick.)
One of my fondest memories of an Irish pub was in Galway. A band was playing jigs in the corner. Patrons got up and started dancing. They weren't performing. They were regular patrons who wanted to dance. It was an authentic experience of Irish culture.
There are two famous pubs -- one on the West Coast, one in Dublin -- I think are worth visiting.
On the West Coast, try to visit Matt Molloy's pub (http://mattmolloy.ie/) in Westport, County Mayo. (And while you're in Westport, climb Croagh Patrick (http://www.croagh-patrick.com/), the holy mountain of Ireland.) Molloy was a musician in the Chieftains.
In Dublin, visit the Brazen Head Pub, which is near the Liffey River. Established in 1198, it's considered the third-oldest pub worldwide (https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/drink-at-the-oldest-pubs-in-ireland-england-germany-and-more-world-s-oldest-bars). I'm 6 foot, 2 inches. My head was scraping the ceiling at the Brazen Head because people back in the day rarely grew taller than 5 feet, 6 inches. Make sure you go to the courtyard at the Brazen Head.
