An Irish Stout
Guinness is the obvious choice here, but it’s possible to also go local and find a great, traditional stout. One we recommend is the milk stout from Fort Lauderdale’s Khoffner Brewery. It’s got a silky texture with hints of chocolate and caramel – but don’t worry, beer purists, the thing it tastes mostly of is “beer.” You can get it in a few different places around town, but the surest way to get your hands on some is to just head over to the brewery taproom, 1110 NE Eighth Ave. It’s a bit tucked away – just like a good Irish pub.
An Irish Pub
Yes, Maguire’s Hill 16 is no more. But it’s not like you’re entirely out of options when looking for a local Irish pub to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in. May we recommend:
Kelly Brothers Irish Pub, 3045 N Federal Hwy
A big, fun locals bar that brings in excellent music.
Stout Bar & Grill, 3419 N Andrews Ave
A place with an excellent beer menu and TVs showing sports from the US, Ireland and beyond.
The Briny Irish Pub/Dicey Riley’s
The Briny folks have many bases covered with a location on the New River (305 S Andrews Ave), a pair of pubs pretty much facing each other in Himmarshee (The Briny Irish at 220 SW Second St and Dicey Riley’s at 217 SW Second St) and another Briny Irish in Pompano.
Waxy O’Connor’s, 1095 SW 17th St
A longtime favorite with a quality food menu including some proper, lovely desserts to go with all that traditional refreshment.
An Irish Meal
Shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, a nice stew – you can find the ingredients for these things in Publix. But if you really want to go all-in, try a little black pudding. Now a word of warning: black pudding is not a dessert. It is a kind of blood sausage and, granted, something of an acquired taste. But perhaps you could acquire it! Or at least impress your friends with your commitment to authenticity. You can find some authentic black pudding at Pond Hoppers, 2629 N Federal Hwy. Note: Pond Hoppers is a British store with British products and Union Jacks on display, so it’s not necessarily the sort of place that immediately puts one in mind of Ireland. But what Britain and Ireland lack in historic political harmony, they more than make up for in shared, weird foods.
An Irish Band & an Irish Sport
Okay okay, these two technically aren’t edible or drinkable. But look, if you’re doing a proper Irish experience, you’ll need this too. For the music, try the Wildfire Band. They’re not just an Irish band – they can honestly do a little bit of just about everything – but they do have a fiddle player out in front, and they know how to get a party going. (On St. Paddy’s Day, they’ll be at Shenanigans on Sheridan Street in Hollywood. And if you want to find their music, they’re always on the internet.) For a bit of Irish exercise in South Florida, check out facebook.com/miamihurling. South Florida Gaelic Sports organizes hurling and Gaelic football. The latter looks kind of like soccer/basketball/rugby, while the former’s a bit like jai alai played by baseball players on a lacrosse field. Probably just easier to YouTube them. They’re fun.
