“It’s time to explore what Irish whiskey can be”: What to Do, Where to Go This St. Patrick’s Day, by Erin DeGregorio

With hardly any snow this winter and longer days on the horizon, this writer is ready to welcome spring by celebrating both St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) and International Whiskey Day (March 27). Though the two holidays fall on different days, there’s at least one thing in common: celebrating with an Irish spirit in hand. To get a handle on the whiskey scene in particular, we spoke with Mike Vacheresse, co-owner of Travel Bar (520 Court St). The Carroll Gardens establishment was named one of the “Top 101 Whisky Bars in the Nation” by Whiskey Advocate magazine in December 2022, being just one of six bars in New York and the only bar in Brooklyn to be considered for the honor.

“Long gone are the days of just drinking Jameson and green beer [on St. Patrick’s Day] for most of my customers,” said Vacheresse, who has been serving patrons for the past eight-and-a-half years. “We have 35 Irish whiskies, and a lot of them are ones that you’ve never heard of, with different cask finishes and styles. And, so, it’s time to explore what Irish whiskey can be.”

So what does Vacheresse recommend? Trying something new. “In the last few years, so many new whiskies have come out, at every price point,” said Vacheresse, noting that Travel Bar now carries more than 450 whiskies from around the world that are served in one- and two-ounce portions. “Go to a bar, talk to the bartender, look at the list, and order an Irish whiskey that you’ve never had before. Or go to a liquor store and talk about trying something new. In Red Hook, for example, you can go talk to Cory Hill at Wet Whistle Wines, who’s great, and ask his opinion. I want to stress that people should be adventurous and to trust the people who work in the industry, because everyone who works in this industry has the passion for it. ”

While Vacheresse says that Ireland is experiencing a “boom and resurgence” in the whiskey industry—with more than 40 distilleries operating in the country, compared to just eight by the end of 2014—whiskey is growing as a spirits category around the world—from Taiwan and Japan to India and Israel, which each make their own whiskey from malted barley. The fact that countries one may not expect to associate with whiskey are, indeed, producing the spirit is something Vacheresse personally enjoys. “Don’t just think of the big ones: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Canada, and America. Whiskey is coming from everywhere and almost every country is making it now,” said Vacheresse, who recalled that his bar was the first in America to sell Stauning, a Danish whiskey. Now, Travel Bar sells six different bottles of Danish whiskey.

During the week of St. Patrick’s Day, Travel Bar will be offering a flight special of a 10-, 16-, and 21-year-old Bushmills Single Malt for $30. Normally, the 21-year-old is $26 an ounce on its own. For more information, visit travelbarbrooklyn.com.

But if a shot of whiskey may not be your cup of tea, here are some other things to do for St. Patrick’s Day:

● NIA Community Services Network’s Beacon Program at P.S. 247 presents Disney Channel’s “Luck of the Irish” Movie Night (7000 21st Ave, March 16, 6:30-8:30 pm) (Eventbrite tickets required in advance)
● St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Cruise (Cabana Yacht at the Skyport Marina, 2430 FDR Drive, New York) (March 17, 6-10 pm) ($62 per ticket)
● Shack Daddy: A Stand-up Comedy Show (Cafe Beit, 158 Bedford Ave, March 17, 7-8:30 pm) (Free)
● St. Patrick’s Day Game Night (Prime143, 143 Thames St, March 17, 7-10 pm) (Free with Eventbrite RSVP ahead of time, $10 at door)
● 48th Annual Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Parade in Park Slope, which starts at Bartel-Pritchard Square (March 19, 12:30 pm) (Free)
● St. Patrick’s Day Sunday Roast & Live Music (Coney Island Brewery, 1904 Surf Ave, March 25, 2-5 pm) ($25 per ticket)
● 28th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts on the corner of 3rd and Marine Aves, March 26, 1 pm) (Free)

Author

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Comments are closed.

READ OUR FULL PRINT EDITION

click here to see our previous issues.

Our Sister Publication

a word from our sponsors!

Latest Media Guide!

Where to find the Star-Revue

Instagram

How many have visited our site?

wordpress hit counter

Social Media

Most Popular

On Key

Related Posts

Special birthday issue – information for advertisers

Author George Fiala George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and

PS 15’s ACES program a boon for students with special needs, by Laryn Kuchta

At P.S. 15 Patrick F. Daly in Red Hook, staff are reshaping the way elementary schoolers learn educationally and socially. They’ve put special emphasis on programs for students with intellectual disabilities and students who are learning or want to learn a second language, making sure those students have the same advantages and interactions any other child would. P.S. 15’s ACES

Big donors taking an interest in our City Council races

The New York City Council primary is less than three months away, and as campaigns are picking up steam, so are donations. In districts 38 and 39 in South Brooklyn, Incumbents Alexa Avilés (District 38) and Shahana Hanif (District 39) are being challenged by two moderate Democrats, and as we reported last month, big money is making its way into

Wraptor celebrates the start of spring

Red Hook’s Wraptor Restaurant, located at 358 Columbia St., marked the start of spring on March 30. Despite cool weather in the low 50s, more than 50 people showed up to enjoy the festivities. “We wanted to do something nice for everyone and celebrate the start of the spring so we got the permits to have everyone out in front,”