Lads and lasses, regardless of Irish heritage, St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate. Although some students may plan on attending church services to honor St. Patrick — the patron saint of Ireland — many more will be celebrating with a pint of Guinness.
“On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone joins in on the fun,” said School of Education junior Leah Ebel. “You wake up, go to the bar, nap and then go to the bar again.”
With the opportunity to be decked out from head to toe in green, and the chance to finally say “Kiss me, I’m Irish” to that hot boy in your 10-person upper level psychology class, how can one resist the lure of this holiday?
To LSA senior Chris Atto, St. Patrick’s Day is “the one day a year where you can go to the bar at 7 a.m. and drink all day and it is completely acceptable.”
Top of the mornin’ to ya
Rise and shine. While students are beginning their morning classes, bars in Ann Arbor are getting ready for the early crowds. Ashley’s Restaurant & Pub is open at 7 a.m. According to bartender Stan Bestek, Ashley’s will offer live music, bagpipers, corned beef and green beer.
For those seeking a big Irish breakfast with a selection of Lucky Charms, green pancakes and Irish stew, head on over to The Brown Jug at 7 a.m.
Taking green to the extreme
If you want to experience green on a whole new level, head over to Buffalo Wild Wings where they will be serving free green eggs and ham from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. While indulging in their $3, 23-oz. green beers, why not try out the green buffalo wings? Bottom line, if you are looking for an abundance of green and to watch some March Madness action, Buffalo Wild Wings is the perfect spot for you.
For those who want some souvenirs from the day, restaurants and bars around campus are giving away free stuff. Scorekeepers Bar & Grill, which opens at 9 a.m., is giving away 70 T-shirts, and for the first 50 people, Ashley’s is giving out “Ashley’s 2005 St. Patrick’s Day” T-shirts.
“St. Patrick’s Day usually gets outrageous,” said Shane McCaan, manager of Conor O’Neill’s, Ann Arbor’s traditional Irish pub. Beginning at 7 a.m., there will be bands, bagpipers and Irish dancers. Those looking for a wide selection of Irish beers will find their fill. They will be serving Guinness, Murphy’s (stout and amber), Bass and Smithwick’s. Just don’t ask for green beer, which manager Tom Murray said “real Irish pubs don’t serve.”
After four months of renovation, Conor O’Neill’s will be opening a new section that seats 100 patrons to accommodate the large crowds on the joyous holiday.
Germany goes green
The Heidelberg, a German bar on Main Street, will also be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with “traditional food, Guinness and new televisions that will be airing the games in the Rathskeller — the pub below the restaurant,” said manager Mike Holloway.
With March Madness on top of St. Patrick’s Day, Holloway expects The Heidelberg to “be pretty wild” with “Final Four watching, drinking and the usual fare.”
The bar will offer fifteen kinds of $2 bottled beers — a deal they offer year round. Starting at 10 p.m., “Sparkle Motion,” a local band, will be performing upstairs. To watch the band you can be 18, but don’t forget young lasses the bar is 21 and up. They will be serving lunch starting at 11 a.m., and the Rathskeller opens at 4 p.m.
Luck o’ the Irish
Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor is offering fun and games to the St. Patrick’s Day experience, with their traditional flip night.
“Basically, you flip a coin with the bartender and if you guess correctly you get your beer half off,” said owner Scott Leopold.
Leopold Bros. will also be serving their own distilled special batch of green vodka, with green vodka tonics 50 cents off.
Celebrating St. PatRICK’s Day
Ah, what would a Thursday night in Ann Arbor be without Rick’s American Café? Chris Hesse, manager of Rick’s, said there will be “green beer, green shots and plenty of party favors for people.” If you are looking to Sham-rock your body, Rick’s, opening at 12 p.m., will have three DJs — DJ Fro, DJ Big Daddy, and Jammin’ DJs — throughout the course of the day.
Alternative Shenanigans
If you need a break from the madness that is St. Patrick’s Day, you can trade your green beer in for sangria at Dominick’s, which re-opened last week. With your choice of lounging outdoors or indoors, be sure to try the popular “constant buzz” a lovely mix of piña colada, strawberry, vodka, triple sec, tequila, rum and gin.
If you are underage, then Ashley’s Restaurant & Pub, along with the Heidelberg’s upstairs club, are some of the few bars on campus that will let you join in on the festivities legally. Ashley’s will be carding after 9 p.m., when visitors must be 21.
“There are alternatives to the bar scene if you aren’t 21,” said Architecture junior Karin Neubauer. “I will be going to a few parties.”
Remember that even though St. Patrick’s Day may appear to be all about fun and games, but there is a lot of risk for a holiday where binge drinking is accepted.
Teresa Herzog Mourad, a counselor at DrinkWise — the University of Michigan Health Service’s MFit Health Promotion Division’s alcohol management program — suggested some tips for staying safe on St. Patty’s Day.
“You don’t necessarily need to drink a green beer all the time. Drink a non-alcoholic beverage and then alternate — have a non-alcoholic drink then a beer,” she said.
There are ways to have fun and still be careful. According to Herzog Mourad, you can still have a good time by “planning ahead, pacing yourself and giving yourself a limit.” May the luck of the Irish be on your side on St. Patty’s Day and the following morning.
A2 Bar Specials
-Ashley’s Restaurant & Pub
338 S. State St.
(734) 996-9191
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
$2 jello shots, $3 green beers, $4 pints of Guinness, $5 Irish car bombs
The Brown Jug
1204 S. University Ave.
(734) 761-3355
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
$2.25 pints of green Miller Lite, $4.99 Irish car bombs, $3.50 Jameson Shots
Buffalo Wild Wings
205 S. State St.
(734) 997-9143
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
$3 23-oz. beer, free eggs and ham
Conor O’Neill’s
318 S. Main St.
(734) 665-2968
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
$5 22-oz. beer
Dominick’s
812 Monroe St.
(734) 662-5414
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
$16.95 pitchers of sangria, $21.04 pitchers of “constant-buzz”
The Heidelberg
215 N. Main St.
(734) 663-7758
$2 bottled beers,
11 a.m. for lunch and 4 p.m. for the Rathskeller until 2 a.m.
Leopold Bros. Of Ann Arbor
523 S. Main St.
(734) 747-9806
4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Beers 50 percent off if you flip a coin and guess correctly!
Rick’s American Café
611 Church St.
(734) 996-2747
12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
TBA
Scorekeepers Bar and Grill
310 Maynard St.
(734) 995-0100
9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
$3 pints of beer, $6 green Coors Light, $4 whiskey shots, $2 green shots, $3.25 bottled Harp.