Top 10 St. Patrick's Day Festivals In The USA

Wondering where the ten best St.Patty's Day fests are in the U.S.? Look no further..."St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious holiday commemorating the patron saint of Ireland. Today “St. Paddy’s” in America has become a celebration of Irish food, culture, and drink, as well as anything having to do with the color green. Typically observed with loud music, dancing, parades and green beer, St. Patrick’s Day festivities happen everywhere in the country, and they are perfect opportunities for beer enthusiasts everywhere to come together and have their fill. No matter where in America you live, chances are there’s going to be a festival in a city near you come March 17. Below is a list of what we think are the top 10 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S.:

1. Chicago, Illinois
Downtown Chicago hosts one the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. It begins with the world-famous dyeing of the Chicago River. The huge, vibrant green river flowing through the middle of the city is a must-see sight. After the dying of the river, people cluster up along Columbus Drive to witness the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, replete with pipe bands, giant floats, Irish dancers and tons of other entertainers commemorating Irish culture. Then it’s on to the nightlife, as the party continues in the many Downtown Chicago bars and nightclubs.

2. Boston, Massachusetts
St. Patrick’s Day first came to America in 1737, and the holiday was first celebrated in none other than Boston, Massachusetts. Over 850,000 people show up every year to this Irish bash, many of them from out of state. And with the population of the city being 16% Irish, Boston hosts one of the most enthusiastic St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. Boston starts partying a full week before St. Patrick’s Day. This year, the city will host the fourth annual Gaelic Gourmet Gala, featuring top chefs from Ireland and Boston. Throughout the week there will be Irish band concerts as well as beer and food specials at bars and restaurants, like the 75 Chestnut, for those who dress their Irish best. On the 15th, South Boston hosts one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, with an estimated 600,000 people showing up.

3. Washington D.C.
There are many, many celebratory events and activities throughout the Nation’s capitol come St. Paddy’s Day. The most famous of these is probably the Shamrock Festival at the RFK Stadium. It happens on March 14 and it’s an all-day event showcasing over 50 Irish bands, dancers, games and other activities. There’s a huge parade the following day, featuring bagpipe players, and Irish folk dancers, as well as the required floats and marching bands.

4. New York City, New York
New York City has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a parade since 1762. They expect well over 1 million people to show up. There are over 150,000 marchers alone. Green beer and the sound of bagpipes will be everywhere in the streets of NYC. If you get there a few days earlier, take the time to make the pilgrimage to the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral as well as the many Irish Pubs and Bars scattered throughout the city.

5. St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is by far the best mid-western city for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. To start, Michelob sponsors a 5 mile run on the 14th. There is then a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown St. Louis, featuring character balloons, Irish dancers, equestrians and large floats. At night, the celebration crescendos as people head off the many bars and pubs in the area offering festive drinks, plenty of green beer and Irish food.

6. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with parade since 1825. What started out as a modest affair has turned into one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. Savannah’s parade draws crowds of over 400,000 people. Dying the city’s fountains green is one of the traditions unique to the city. Seeing the green fountains, as spring starts creeping up on the Georgia city is one of the most enjoyable sights you can witness.

7. San Francisco, California
In the western United States, you won’t find a St. Patrick’s Day celebration that’s bigger or richer in history than the one that takes place in San Francisco. Called one of the most fashionable parades in the country, San Francisco’s St. Patrick’s Day parade follows the city’s iconic trolley tracks. Afterwards the nightlife gets livelier throughout the city’s many Irish bars and pubs, as the celebration draws thousands of people from all over the state.

8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has been celebrating the famous Irish holiday since 1771. The city’s annual parade is the second oldest parade in the country, and it is organized by the Saint Patrick’s Observance Association. The parade draws about 500,000 people and this year, it will be held on March 15th. There will be thousands of marchers and CBS will be broadcasting the event live.

9. Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City first held a St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1873. Today the event draws a crowd of about 200,000 spectators. One of the things unique to this particular parade is that the grand prize winner of the procession gets an all-expense paid trip to Ireland, so participants really give it their all. After the parade, head over to Westport, where you’ll find some of the best post-parade drinking and partying establishments in town.

10. Dublin, Ohio
There are nine cities in the United States named Dublin, but Dublin, Ohio is the one that lives up to its name the most, especially when St. Patrick’s Day comes around. The city hosts a miles-long parade featuring floats, bands and leprechauns. There are plenty of post-parade bashes to attend. If you are in the mood to explore some of the city’s Irish heritage, you can head over to the Historic District, and enjoy some Irish food and Celtic music
(source: beertastetest.com)

Beer Is Liquid Bread According To Singing Legos

Well...I thought this was funny anyway:

Top 10 USA Domestic Beers / Brands

The Information Resources Incorporated (IRI) report indicates craft beer sales are on the increase and it also states the following domestic brews are the ten best selling labels here in the good ole USA. These are sales that are tabulated in outlets that IRI monitors, such as supermarkets with at least $2 million in sales, convenience stores and retail liquor stores, to wit:

1. Bud Light

2. Budweiser

3. Miller Lite

4. Coors Light

5. Corona Extra

6. Natural Light

7. Heineken

8. Michelob Ultra Light

9. Busch Light

10. Miller High Life

Top 10 World Beer Cup 2008 Medal Winners

The World Beer Cup is an international competition held every two years... this year 2,864 individual bottles of beer were entries, representing 58 countries: Although beers from 21 countries won medals, the USA (158 awards), Germany (25), Belgium (11), Japan (10), Australia (6) were the top five winners. There were 128 judges from all over the world, even countries without competitors in the contests. For more information on the winners, visit this page .
(source for this article: http://inventorspot.com/)

Best Beer 1.Best Classic English-Style Pale Ale: MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
Relatively new to MacTarnahan's repertoire of ales, its Amber Ale is made with fresh Cascade hops from the Northwest, making its flavor crisp and complex. Thus, it goes best with grilled or gamey meats and full-flavored fish. There were 35 entries in this category.

Best Beer 2. Best German-Style Pilsener: Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
Trumer Pils has a 400 year history, dating from the original family-owned Trumer Brauerei in Salzburg, Austria. It has carried both the brewing tradition and the original crisp, slightly tart taste with it through the centuries. It is made from imported malt and hops from Germany and Austria and is fermented with a propriety yeast. There were 72 entries in this category.

Best Beer 3. Best Belgian and French-Style Ale: Brugse Zot Blond, Brouwerij De Halve Maan, Brugge, Belgium
Don't let the fool on the bottle fool you. This Belgian ale has been a winner of many beer competitions over the years. Practically the national beer of Belgian, you can find Brugse Zot Blond served in many crepe and sandwich bars in Brugge. It has a sweet fruity flavor and is bubbly and light, with only six percent alchohol content. There were 37 entries in this category.

Best Beer 4. Best German-Style Dark Wheat Ale: Schneider Weisse Original, Schneider Weisse, Kelheim, Germany
The Schneider Weisse Original is spicy with the smell or clove and nutmeg and, according to the brewer, it is fresh, clean, full, harmonious and balanced. In the end it leaves an impression of slight, fine bitterness. There were 29 entries in this category.

Best Beer 5. Best American-Style Light Lager: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL, USA
The beer that made Milwaukee famous has also been making the best light beer (light in calorie and carbs), according to beer raters. Milwaukee's Old Style Light is reported to have some taste of hops and malt; "refreshing" is the word reviewers most often used to describe it. Old Milwaukee Light has 113 calories and 7 grams of fat. There were 34 entries in this category.

Best Beer 6. Best American-Style Lager: Tooheys Extra Dry, Tooheys Pty Limited, Lidcombe, Australia
No, it's not Budweiser! Toohey's Extra Dry, known in Australia simply as Ted's, is a refreshing drink with not too much taste of hops, malt, or fruit, geared to young beer drinkers. Advertising is also geared toward the young and the ads are popular down under for some outlandishness, including its beer-addicted walking tongue. There were 48 entries in this category.

Best Beer 7. Best Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street AleWorks, Santa Rosa , CA, USA
What? Better than Guinness? The Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout has won several top awards in the Irish stout category. The chocolate and caramel flavor is strong, but not overwhelming; some say there are hints of licorice and coffee. A full-bodied beer, it's poured black from the tap. There were 20 entries in this category.

Best Beer 8. Best Scottish-Style Ale: McGarveyʼs Scottish Ale, Oggi's / Left Coast Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA, USA
This ruddy ale has plenty of flavor without being heavy. Molasses add a nice sweet aftertaste. Left Coast Brewing says there's a tad bit of hops in the ale to keep the bitterness out. Good beer to drink by itself or with a grilled chicken or fish. There were 24 entries in this category.

Best Beer 9. Traditional German-Style Bock:Bock Lager, Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant, Elk Grove, CA, USA
Interesting history about this German lager. The beer was firt made by Trappist monks to drink while fasting during lent. Just picture that!
The Elk Grove Brewery has an health assortment of brews, with its Bock Lager being one of its seasonal beers. The Elk Grove Bock Lager is described as a full-bodied, strong beer, with German style malts, having "a smooth, rich complexity not found in many beers. On tap in late January: limit is 3 pints. There were 21 competitors in this category.

Best Beer 10. Wood-and Barrel-aged Strong Beer: Paradox Grain, BrewDog, Fraserburgh, UK
This beer is a marriage of Scotland's greatest productions of whisky and stout. BrewDog partners with Duncan Taylor Ltd of Huntly, aging its Paradox Grain in the casks of some of the greatest whiskeys ever made. "The distinct flavours of these whiskies is beautifully infused into the beer giving a unique and unrivalled experience for both beer and whisky lovers." There were 14 entrees in this category.