Over in the USA, the day is also an opportunity for Americans to proudly declare their Irish heritage, no matter how tenuous. There are huge parades, and the radio seems to play nothing but the Dropkick Murphys, Boomtown Rats and the House of Pain on repeat. In fact, over 10% of the population of the USA claim Irish descent, though this doesn’t account for the number ofappalling impressions of Jack Nicholson in The Departed that inevitably happen on St Patrick’s Day after a couple of pints.
On St Paddy’s Day, over 13 million pints of the black stuff get downed all around the world – though any Irishman (or woman) will tell you that it doesn’t
taste the same anywhere else, as Guinness doesn’t travel well. Moreover, there’s something special about Dublin water, as Arthur Guinness must have known in 1759 when he signed a 9000 year lease on the St. James’ Gate Brewery.
Nowadays, Guinness is brewed in 49 countries, but amazingly the Irish aren’t even the heartiest consumers of the stuff. That accolade goes to Nigeria, while Cameroon slot in at 5 behind the UK, Ireland and the USA.
It takes just under two minutes to pour a proper pint of Guinness, but it's not the only way to enjoy the thick creamy stout this St Patrick’s Day.
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