Come St. Patrick’s Day, year after year, bars and restaurants across the country pour out countless pints of green beer to serve to drunken revelers. In fact, data from restaurant management platform Upserve show that St. Patrick’s Day historically contributes to some of the year’s highest beer sales. That’s all well and good (turns out that, year after year, there’s a strangely huge market for pitchers of toxic-looking green suds), but we decided to check in with some restaurants that have found more creative ways to bring in customers this St. Paddy’s. From naturally green beer to innovative takes on St. Paddy’s-inspired fare, these eateries are monetizing the holiday to make some serious green.
Famed steakhouse Smith & Wollensky will be celebrating with special Steak & Whiskey Event, taking place now through St. Patrick’s Day weekend, serving up a whiskey-infused dry-aged steak paired with whiskey.
In Denver, Tamayo is putting an Irish spin on their tacos to bring in guests on what would typically be a slow day for a Mexican eatery.
Festive desserts rule in Chi-town, where Public House will serve a seasonal version of their popular Cake Shake, the Patty Cake Shake. The Instagram-worthy treat is made of beer, cake, ice cream, marshmallows and more.
Finally, San Diego’s Japanese spot Tajima is offering a special green-tinted Matcha-Hi drink to celebrate. The cocktail consists of Iichiko Shochu sake and iced green tea, a healthy, tasty alternative to green beer. “In creating the Matcha-Hi cocktail, the Tajima team wanted to incorporate trendy matcha tea while also offering customers an out-of-the-ordinary festive beverage. We wanted to stay true to our Japanese roots by coming up with a green sake-based drink that would make people say, ‘I’ve got to try that,’” says owner Isamu Morikizono.