IAmA Bar owner on Paddys day in Dublin. AGAIN!

You've said that you pretty much hand the city over to tourists today, do you find it strange that St. Patrick's Day is mostly celebrated by people who aren't Irish? I'm in England, and everyone I know seems to be going out tonight to get drunk on Guinness, however for St. George's Day, we maybe put a few flags up.

It's pretty much just an excuse to get drunk at this stage, whatever it meant originally.

How much alcohol do you typically sell on Paddy’s day?

A legitimate shit ton.

Alright then. Let's do this. A shit ton. Now, you're Irish, but you said "ton" so, I'll do the math for imperial. Adult fecal matter is about 75% water by weight. A ton is 2000lbs, and of that ton of shit, 25% of it solid by weight, or 500 lbs of dehydrated shit. Beer is anywhere from 90 to 95 percent water by volume, and about 2%-6% alcohol by volume, which means that the solid content in a beer (I'll take the lowest water and highest alcohol content. You are Irish after all) is about 4%. This means that for every pint of beer, there are 0.04 pints of solid material. Unfortunately, the density of the solid matter will vary significantly from beer to beer; It's mostly mineral content; we will have to make due with the density of beer in general. 0.04 pints times 1.05 grams/centimeter cubed is 0.042 grams of solid material per pint. The liquor is either broken down into acetate, and then unrinated out or is exhaled and sweated out. We have a surplus of water, therefore both factors can be ignored. Take our desired 500 lbs, and convert that to kilograms: 226.796 kilos or 226,796 grams. 226,796 divided by the 0.042 grams of solid mass per pint gives us 5,399,904.76 pints of beer to make a literal ton of shit. That's 2,555,107.89 liters of beer. According the price of travel website, a pint of beer in dublin, low end, will run you about 5.56 USD per pint. That's a minimum revenue (not gross) of $30,023,470.47 USD for our friend u/bombidol here.

Bravo.

Fellow Irishman here, and I have probably the most important question of all: Are ya televising the rugby?

Absolutely not.

How's the weather today?

Shitty. Mix of rain and snow so far.

What do people order the most of at your bar on the holiday? Guiness? Do they try and get anything “weird” like a Smirnoff Ice?

It's mostly guinness and whiskey today. A lot of lager and cider too.

What's the earliest anyone's chundered in your Paddy's Day history?

As the door opens. I saw people puking on the walk to work two hours ago.

Do you ever run out of beer? Have you heard of that happening in other bars? If so, what happens?

Bag up the tap and sell the other stuff!

First-- Good luck! Hope your day goes well!

Second-- What's the worst thing that's happened? How many people do you estimate you get in on this day? How many do you kick out?

Thanks in advance :)

I get asked this a lot. Nothing really bad has ever happened on Paddys day here. 99.9% of the people I'll see are tourists who won't want to spend long in one pub. They will grab one or two beers and head off to the next one. I'd say over the course of the day about ten people will be asked to leave and a bunch more will be denied access.

Are tourists generally considered annoying? Or are they okay/nice to have around?

For the most part they are great to be around. Its interesting to see people's reaction to the city. There's always one or two that are a pain in the arse but generally they are good people.

What's the most you have ever seen someone drink?

A pal of mine drank 36 pints one night. That's the most I've ever seen.

Hope the day goes well for you!

How often do you get Americans in your pub on this day?

I'd say 70% of the people in the city are Americans right now.

Thanks for checking in again this year, man. Hope it's a good day!

Should Guinness be served cold or at room temperature?

Also, what drink should I order in Dublin that is better than Guinness?

Cheers!

Cold from the tap. Slightly warmer from a bottle. Try O'Haras Stout and Leann Folainn

How often do you have to deal with people fighting? Have you ever seen a fight get out of hand?

I think theres been maybe two fights in the seven years I've been here. Never anything too crazy.

Do you think there's enough barbers on Thomas St now?

Jesus.

Good luck! 🍀

One thing I love when traveling is you can always be sure to feel welcome in an Irish pub no matter the city. As a real Irish pub owner what in your opinion is required to make an Irish pub authentic?

No bells and whistles. Just good staff and good beer.

As an owner of a pub in Ireland, do you actually think Irish beers are the best? What is your preference when/if you decide to drink?

I think theres some great Irish beers. Personally, Belgian beers are my favourite.

I don't drink that much beer anymore to be honest. Mostly drink Powers whiskey but if I'm having a beer it'll be German or Belgian.

What was the most bat-shit crazy thing you ever saw a patron do?

I've seen some insane shit here. People eating dead lizards, pissing on the floor and a bunch more.

How do you feel when Americans start talking about their Irish ancestors?

I personally enjoy hearing about it

I met quite a few guys from Dublin last night here in Amsterdam. Do a good portion of the locals get outta Dodge for the day?

Some do. Most hide at home

How often, if ever, do you partake in drinking with the patrons? You seem like a guy people would want to have a drink with.

Cheers and good luck today!

Every day.

What's your favorite [traditional Irish] meal? Having anything special for the holiday?

I just had some grapes. Does that count?

I've heard that ordering an Irish car bomb in Ireland would be as offensive as ordering a 9/11 in NYC. I can completely see that logic. Is it an extremely sensitive subject over there, and is it still ordered often?

Depends on the person. It doesn't bother me at all. That shit is delicious.

Is your favorite color green?

Whatever colour money is.

How many people will black out at your bar on average St Patrick's day?

Very few. Later this evening there will probably be a few people that need to take a walk and get their legs back working

Thank you for everything to do! I loved my time visiting Dublin in the summer of 2017, and I hope to get back there soon. On St. Patrick's Day, who are the worst drunks - the locals, or the tourists?

Most Dublin people avoid the city today, we pretty much hand the town over to the tourists.

Too hungover to get up and look out the window lad, did the snow we were threatened with ever materialize? Or was Met Éireann just overreacting?

It was snowing this morning. I doubt it will stick around

Is there a sense of pride about people all around the world celebrating Ireland today or is it more just seen as something for the outside world? Irish-American asking

Its hard to explain. It's like we share the city with new comers for a few days and turn up the Irish factor to 100%

What do you think about the proposals to extend the opening hours for clubs and pubs here in Dublin? Moreso do you think that the early closing hours hinder a lot of our nightlife scene here?

Best of luck today anyway lad, might head up to ya as I have nothing planned!

Our licensing laws are a joke. I think a twelve hour license should be standard with no area having too many bars/clubs that finish at the same time. Also late license applications should be instant, if I'm busy I should be able to press a button on an app to get one instead of going to court to apply for one. It's a disaster here.

Are you a bar owner the rest of the year as well?

Hopefully

Happy St. Patricks day! Still serving that Founders, All Day IPA?

Yep!

What do you recommend for first time drinkers who came into your bar?

Ten whiskeys.

How many drinks until you cut someone off?

It's different for everyone.

Do they still have Beamish over there? Or is it gone now?

It's still around but rare in Dublin

How does an actual Irish person celebrate St. Patrick's day?

Here in America, it's just an excuse to get shit faced because you might be 25% Irish because of your ancestors.

We hide at home

How many staff will you have throughout the day? Is it hard to get staff to work the evening shift? Is their a financial incentive for staff to work today?

We will have about six staff on today, staggered throughout.

I've been out here waiting for a pint for twenty minutes, is there any chance you could put down your phone and grab me 9 pints of guinness and a bag of bacon fries? cheers kid.

Done deal

If i were to come into your pub, What’s a real traditional Irish beer that you would suggest to an American tourist that you might not find in America that you’d recommend. Guinness is in basically every American pub in the country, or is Guinness very popular and the go to beer there as well?

We do a bunch of Irish beers here. Any of the O'Haras or PorterHouse range.

Love the Thomas House! Have had many’s a good night in there after a Vicar Street gig! Keep up the good work, hope ye have a great Paddy’s :) What time will ye be open til tonight?

Only going til 12.30 tonight

I'm reading the questions in an American accent and your replies in an Irish accent. Are you 100% Irish yourself?

100%

Do you think that there is an unhealthy attitude to alcohol in Ireland? (Note:am Irish)

Absolutely. But it's related to licensing laws.

Is it true a lot of folk leave Ireland on Paddy's Day and go over to the UK to get away from all the tourists?

I don't think so. I think a lot of them just stay at home and hide.

Is there a drink you serve that is most popular on this day?

Whiskey and Guinness

I get the idea yours is a rock and roll bar... Will there be any bands playing at your joint tonight?

We have a bunch of Irish punk band tonight

Just wanna say I love the Thomas house, from Kildare but anytime I'm in town I make it a mission to head down there for pints. Keep up the great work!

Any famous heads in there regularly? I've seen Dara O'Briain in the area fair regular.

There's a bunch of well known people that drink here but obviously I couldn't name them publicly

What would you do if you found a snake in your bar on this blessed day?

Kiss it

What is your fav St. Pats day joke and/or pickup line?

I don't think I've ever heard a Patrick's day joke or pickup line in my life. Tell me.

Does your pub have live music?

It does indeed

Best accompaniment to a pint of Guinness?

Shot of powers

Are you in city centre? My restaurant in Dundrum is dead so far

We are on Thomas St so pretty close to the action. It's quiet so far.

What’s the biggest freak out you’ve seen in your bar?

A dude exploded once.

Do you have any advice for a fellow barman working in Cork today?

Head down. Don't make eye contact.

If you could visit any other city in the world on St Patrick's day, where would it be and what would you hope to see or not see?

I've been to Chicago and it was fun. Maybe Philly

Gar, please, I must know. Was it the Gods of Metal that blessed you with such a facemelting and badass name? Followup question, is your daily driver a dragon?

Odin himself blessed me.

I went to Dublin on St Paddy's Day once and didn't really like it (not into crowds), but I could tell it was a great city and would love to try again. Is there a time of year you could recommend with maybe less tourism but also where the cold doesn't hurt your face?

July or August is great

You need any help?

Not right now. You can bring the staff down some food at about 6pm though.

Has there been a steady incline of tourists over the years or has it pretty much leveled off at this point? Thanks for the AMA. Keep the tradition going!

More and more every year

I don't know if it's appropriate to ask. What's the spike in sales compared to a regular day?

Between double and quadruple

How many liters of beer do you expect to sell today?

500-1000

Is Gar in Philadelphia here I come ?

I am not.

Do you serve reuben sandwiches or is that an American pretending to be Irish thing?

I don't even know what that is.

Has it ever happened that the stock of any one of the liquors has finished in your bar? If yes, what did you do? If no,what will you do if that happens in future?

We have run out of stock on a few occasions, nothing you can do but just keep going and restock asap

How far out in advance do you start preparing? How much more alcohol do you order? Do you anticipate running out?

We should be well stocked for today

Do you think that American tourists now carry themselves differently after the Trump election? Like do you see more/fewer people in red/white/blue garb than a few years ago?

Same as always. Crazy trump mericans don't seem to leave murica

Do you enjoy eating corned beef? Is it considered heretical in Ireland if you don’t?

Also, is it true that the rainbow always ends in Ireland?

Thanks in advance!

I haven't eaten meat in 25 years but its popular enough over here I believe

My friend is working at a pub in Dublin. Though he's not pulling pints, he's still in for one hell of a ride. What should he expect or be careful about today?

Eyes on the back of your head.

What Irish sorcery makes Bulmers taste 1000% better than Magners?

Sugar.

Are IPAs popular over in that side of the world?

Big time

Hello! I am coming to Ireland in two weeks with my family. We’re very excited. I hate to admit it, but I am not (yet) a fan of Guinness or Jameson. I prefer vodka,rum, or light beers. Is a “vodka soda” (vodka, water with gas, and lime) a thing there? Should I call it something else? Thank you!!

That's exactly what you'd call it when you order it. Just ask for some light beers. Here's plenty of rums here to choose from.

Are there any people you absolutely won't let in your bar? Are "refugees" problematic?

What?

Do you do “Irish Car Bombs” and do you call them something different?

We do em

Do you serve pickle backs at your bar?

Nope!

How much more does a pub make on paddy’s day to a normal Saturday?

Hope it isn’t too mental!

It depends. I've done quadruple my regular take. This year, I dunno. It seems quieter out.

My ex lives in Dundalk and got so drunk last year she missed work the next day and got canned. Is that considered an embarrassment by her fellow Irish, or do some get just as drunk on this holiday?

No one should be so drunk as to miss work!

Do a lot of tourists tell you/the staff about their ancestors (especially today)? I don’t like to be “that guy” but I’m American with Irish ancestors who came here a long time ago, which i think is interesting but i don’t make a huge deal of it or anything

Honestly I enjoy hearing about it

Hello! I just poured and drank my first Guinness but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d have liked. Is it more of an acquired taste?

You will grow to love it

Do you put green paint in the beer to turn it green?

Fuck no

Hi there - New Yorker here (in Dublin). Didn’t know what hurling was until yesterday. Apparently a big match this afternoon at Croke Park. I kind of want to go - if I do what can I expect? Will they serve beer at the stadium? Is there assigned seating or do you just kind of get a section and squeeze in?I’m not huge into parades as I’ve had my fair share being both from NYC and having lots of family in New Orleans. Any other recommendations?

Assigned seating and they sell beer yeah.