Looking for some drinks to mix tonight to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?  YumSugar.com has recipes for 5 beer cocktails. There’s the Michelada, a Mexican cocktail (which could serve as a Cinco de Mayo drink too); the Clara, a combination of light beer and lemon soda; the Black Velvet, made with stout and sparkling wine; the Liverpool Kiss, a berry-flavored cocktail made with stout and Creme de Cassis; and the Broadway, a Japanese favorite which is one part Coke and one part beer.

I’d like to add a couple of variations to the Black Velvet recipe.  One of our local bars here prefers to mix pear cider with the stout, rather than sparkling wine.  They also have a “Blue Velvet,” which is a Black Velvet topped with port.

Be careful out there celebrating tonight!  One of our pocket breathalyzers can help keep you safe.

Looking for a dish to serve at a St. Patrick’s Day party tomorrow night?  Corned beef is a traditional Irish favorite.  This recipe, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, makes corned beef even better by adding booze.  It’s easy to make - only 30 minutes total prep time - and features a delicious bourbon flavored brown sugar sauce that you spoon over the beef.

I’m off to enjoy some Irish cooking with booze myself… the chef at the Majestic Grille, one of the best restaurants downt the street from the Mid-South Alcoholic Supply World HQ, just happens to be Irish, and he’s offering Irish lunch specials all this week.  He has a beef and mushroom pie with vegetables and Murphy’s Stout inside a puff pastry crust… sounds good to me!

Check out our bookstore to find plenty more recipes that use booze.