How and Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Rhode Island

Ten local spots for year-round Irish food and drinks, plus where to listen to Irish music and sip stouts from area breweries.

March 17, 2023

Kerri Tallman, Kate Ayers,

St. Paddy’s Day Music: Where to get your Irish jig on.

NORTH
Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland
For a traditional Irish celebration, Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland is hosting Lúnasa, an Irish band named after the Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh. These top talents hail from Ireland and have pieced together a melodic interweaving roof wind and string instruments to create breathtaking cultural arrangements. Online ticket sales are closed, but reserve your spot over the phone before the show begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. Tickets are $35 in advance, $38 at the door. 549 Broad St., Cumberland, 725-9272, riverfolk.org

McBride’s Pub, Providence
While there is live Irish music weekly on Tuesdays from 7–10 p.m., there will be a special two-session live music performance of Irish and Celtic music from Turas Irish Band on St. Patrick’s Day from 1–4 p.m. along with a performance by Sean Connell from 8–11 p.m. For an added bonus, McBride’s Pub also has a Guinness ripple machine! 161 Wayland Ave., Providence, 751-3000, mcbrides-pub.com

EAST
Aidan’s Pub, Bristol
Enjoy bagpipes and live entertainment at this waterfront pub as part of its annual celebration. 5 John St., Bristol, 254-1940, aidanspub.com

Fastnet Pub, Newport
This classic Irish spot offers live Irish Seisiún Sundays from 6–9 p.m. 1 Broadway, Newport, 845-9311, thefastnetpub.com

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The science of pouring a Guinness

Guinness should be poured from a tap equipped with a special spout that uses both nitrogen and carbon dioxide to dispense the beer through the lines. This creates a cascading effect, where the bubbles travel down and around the glass rather than up. The color changes from creamy light to dark ruby red as it settles. The head should be eleven-sixteenths of an inch. The smaller the head, the sweeter the beer, whereas the thicker the head, the more bitter the brew.

The 119.5 second pour

Hold a Guinness harp glass at a forty-five-degree angle and pour three-quarters full, let cascade for one hundred and nineteen-point-five seconds, according to Guinness. Top with foamy head poured upright.

Irish bartender method

Pull the spout toward you and pour straight into glass until three-quarters full, let cascade for one-and-a-half minutes. Top with foamy head with the spout away from you.

Standard bartender method

Pour at a forty-five-degree angle and finish with a continuous upright pour without settling.

Canned beer pours

If tapped Guinness isn’t available, a canned pour at home can be just as satisfying. The can must be chilled and poured into a room-temperature glass. A chilled glass will disrupt the nitrogen gas process. The can contains a nitrogen-filled widget to emulate a draft pour.

Ladle it in

This works for a black-and-tan-layered beer. Pour a light beer, preferably an IPA, at an angle to fill the glass about two-thirds. Pour a Guinness over an inverted spoon to create the layered effect.

Get vertical

Flip the can upside-down directly into a glass and let it fill. For extra flair, pour it vertically from as high as you can.

Don’t like Guinness?

Here are some other local stouts.*

Crooked Current Brewery

Oatmeal Raisin Stout
Extortion Eggnog Milk Stout
Chocolate Cherry Stout
Chocolate Habañero Stout
Chocolate Orange Stout
Milk Stout
Imperial Stout
White Stout

Grey Sail Brewing
Dave’s Coffee Stout

Revival Brewing Company
White Electric Coffee Stout

Long Live Beerworks
Return of the Warlord , a double coffee Imperial Stout

Proclamation Ale Company
Black Hexes Imperial Stout
Broze oatmeal milk Stout
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
The Answer is Cake Imperial Stout
Optical Traces Imperial Stout
Zzzlumber Imperial Stout