Few national celebrations have achieved truly global resonance. St. Patrick’s Day is one of them. Every year on March 17, the Irish honor their patron saint, joined by generations of emigrants scattered across the globe and by their descendants. Around them gathers an even larger crowd of people with no Irish roots at all who, for a day, happily play the part. Italy included.
Few voices are better placed to talk about the drinking traditions of the holiday than the Italian-Irish mixologist Patrick Pistolesi. Founder of Drink Kong in Rome, Pistolesi offers his perspective on St. Patrick’s Day rituals and unveils the cocktail his bar has created for the occasion: the Green Mick.
St. Patrick’s Day: The Story Behind the Celebration
A brief historical note helps set the stage. Maewyn Succat, the man who would become St. Patrick, was born in 389 A.D. in what was then Roman Britain. At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped and sold into slavery to the king of the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata. Six years later he escaped, reunited with his family and eventually took holy orders.
Later ordained bishop, he returned to Ireland as a missionary and played a central role in spreading Christianity across the island. His influence secured him lasting renown and, after his death, recognition as both saint and patron of Ireland. He died on March 17, 461 — the date now commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.
Today the holiday is closely associated with drinking and the color green. Yet historically St. Patrick was linked with blue, and until the 1970s Irish pubs were required to remain closed out of respect for the religious observance. Over time the character of the celebration shifted, and modern St. Patrick’s Day now flows with beer, whiskey and cider — with green everywhere.
A Curse and a Blessing
“St. Patrick’s Day has always been my curse,” Pistolesi says with a laugh. “I was born on October 31 — Halloween — I’m half Irish and my name is Patrick.” Three Celtic signals in one life: enough, he jokes, to suggest a certain destiny. “As soon as I was old enough I started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day around Ireland and especially in Dublin. It’s a unique experience — and naturally a very alcoholic one.”
His early years working behind the bar in large Irish pubs proved formative. “It was an incredible training ground,” he says. “You deal with massive crowds, you manage people who have had a few too many drinks, and you learn to read the room on days that start claiming their first casualties by mid-afternoon.”
Yet the atmosphere remained joyous. “The sense of celebration included everyone behind the bar as well. Pulling that many pints, singing songs with guests — it’s something that can happen only in Ireland, and only inside a pub.”
Beer at the Center of the Celebration
Pub culture naturally shapes the drinking traditions of St. Patrick’s Day. At its core stands a familiar trinity: beer, Irish whiskey and cider. Beer is almost always stout, though variations help avoid monotony. “Ireland lives through its pubs,” Pistolesi says, “and people tire quickly of lager, so the selection tends to change often.”
Green beer, however, is largely an American invention. “It’s an important part of the folklore there — they even dye a river green,” he says. “But it’s really something created by immigrants, a bit like New York’s spaghetti and meatballs.” A tradition born far from Ireland itself. “It’s purely American. I don’t necessarily support it, but it’s fun to take part if it happens once a year.”
Whiskey and Cider
Beer may dominate the day, yet whiskey also plays a central role — strictly Irish, of course. “And the quantities?” Pistolesi laughs. “Rivers of it. Rivers and rivers. As shots, on the rocks, in an Irish Coffee, a Hot Whiskey, a Whiskey lime and ginger ale — rivers.”
For those seeking something lighter, cider offers an alternative. “In Ireland cider is huge. We have an Irish one that’s incredibly popular and it’s served in a full pint glass packed with ice.” As with beer, variety helps keep things interesting.
Sláinte
For anyone celebrating St. Patrick’s Day without Irish roots, there is a small linguistic tip. Instead of saying “cheers,” the traditional toast is sláinte — pronounced roughly slon-cha. “Irish people are extremely warm and welcoming,” Pistolesi says. “They’re happy to share their culture and even happier when others appreciate it.”
The Green Mick Cocktail
For St. Patrick’s Day 2026, Drink Kong presents its seasonal creation: the Green Mick.
Ingredients
- 25 ml wasabi redistilled Irish whiskey
- 15 ml mint redistilled Irish whiskey
- 10 ml Irish whiskey
- 10 ml crème de menthe verte
- 1.25 ml sugar syrup
Method
Prepare the cocktail using the stir & strain technique. Fill a mixing glass with cubed ice and chill it with a bar spoon. Discard the excess water, add all ingredients and stir until the mixture is properly chilled and integrated. Strain into a glass. At Drink Kong, the cocktail is served in a Nick & Nora glass.
Garnish
None.
Images credits Alberto Blasetti x Coqtail – all rights reserved
Images courtesy Alberto Blasetti e Studio LordZ
