Try as they will, and try as they might, who steals me gold won’t live through the night.

I love St. Patrick’s Day. A catholic feast day in the middle of lent brought to the rest of the world by immigrants and evolving over hundreds of years into a mostly secular day of green draped debauchery. Cities across the country watch parades and then get hammered on pitchers of beer dyed green with a few drops of food coloring. Chicago dyes the river green, and New York boasts the first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade (No, really- 1760s a group of Irish soldiers fighting in the United States wanted to celebrate). The traditions are what makes the holiday great.

My traditions have likewise evolved, although in not such a spectacular fashion as the holiday itself has enjoyed nation-wide. I went to my share of parades and partook in more than my fair share of day drinking, but real life catches up to all of us eventually. These days my celebrations tend to take place at home, with a few traditional beers and bad movies.

I am unashamedly and deeply in love with bad horror movies, and right near the top of the list (especially for St. Pat’s) is Leprechaun. You know, the one that came out in ’93 and starred Jennifer Anniston in a failed foray into scream queen territory. The one with all the terrible, horrible, wonderful, leprechaun puns. Aside from the truly awful dialogue and worse performance from Jennifer Anniston, it really is a brilliantly paced film. One that I come back to at least annually in fact it often finds itself on my Halloween watchlist.

Leprechaun is not my only St Patrick’s tradition. I write this, as I do most of my writing, with beer in hand. This is primarily a beer blog, isn’t it? Tonight, is The Claddagh, from Phase Three Brewing out of Lake Zurich, Illinois. A simple Dry Irish Stout, with a sweet, creamy, chocolatey malt nose, which sits beautifully dark with a half an inch of creamy tan head. Roasty malt flavor, touch of coffee, tastes like chocolate covered espresso beans. Seriously creamy mouth feel and touch of dry bitterness on the finish. All in all, a simple recreation of the traditional Dry Irish Stout which is itself a simple beer.

Dry Irish Stout is a beer style that, although you may not be aware of it, you are probably familiar with. My goodness, my Guinness. Guinness has been a St. Patrick’s staple for always, as Ireland’s most familiar and iconic export. It is as traditional for St. Patrick’s Day as green rivers and parades.

However it is you celebrate, and whatever traditions you stick to- never change.

Slainte!