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From what could be called the Triple S, as in a Shamrock Martini to Shanky’s Whip with vanilla to Smithwick’s ale, and get Lucky with a special Burger, Ireland is where you find it on St. Patrick’s Day, and its right here in the Badger State, where the grass and more is always as green as clover.

There’s a range of fantastic west Wisconsin venues ranging north to south to almost the length of Ireland, each offering their own take on St. Patrick’s Day.
Leading off, check out the rainbow of things — not just a wee bit — at UW Wanderoos in Amery that you will not normally find on this green day. Start with a Shamrock Martini, gotta love that drink recipe idea, and even if you are not Irish you are sure to be well served by ordering their Get Lucky burger. And their fish fry all through Lent starts on Wednesdays, then runs through Fridays. A pool tournament — pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? — is offered on March 18 and also on that evening there is the up-to-date country strains of North of 64, hailing from across the way in Osceola. (Check out their travelin’ story online video, as referenced in an earlier post!)
To hit up the Isle, Hey hey, what can I do … I will be true: The following adds up to almost three dozen. Paddy’s Ryan’s offers a selection of more than 35 Irish whiskey AND single malt Scotch, and you can also knock back not only a Shanky’s Whip with its vanilla theme — as proprietor of all things Irish Kirk Mueller calls it — and a whole series of Jameson varieties. But back to Shanky’s. Its official website, no doubt from the Emerald Isle, also describes it as the original black liqueur (their correct spelling used) and Irish whiskey blend with the taste of cream, and caramel, that it offers the world. And that’s not just on St. Patrick’s Day, but everyday they are open in both the town of Hudson and now River Falls, with even greater accessibility. River Falls will also have, again, its potato soup crawl, and you can be sure Paddy Ryan’s will lead the way with that type of fare.

— For the latest in St. Patrick’s Day information, to milk in this state a bad old joke but good one, I go when brave and bold and want news on the cold to MotherInMilwaukee.mom. (Even though she’s a full 99.9 percent German): “It is 42 degrees here, cloudy, damp and gray! We’re to get rain today and rain snow mix tomorrow (the real main day in question, as Milwaukee is Irish too, and their might be wind worthy of one of their yarns at play also)!”
But back to that cabbie and his distain for snow, as he just right stream on his streaming of Tiger state hockey, as in its champs, done all season regionally, but at the end The WIAA held all dibs. On the drive to Madison, as they crept near Portage — where with that name you’d think they’d provide a break from the fluffy white stuff, liquid or less, there was less and less and then no snow. Could see all of the corn stalks virtually down to their roots. Once down there, there was domination, with the goalie giving up only one goal all tourney, while racking up a full ten themselves against archrival Menomonie.
Back In New Richmond, after back at the sports bar, there was a woman with a Prescott sweater, I think it went as I was just a wee bit buzzed, who also was relishing the hockey greatness, just far afield. —

Being that St. Patrick’s Day is a Friday … The Smilin’ Moose is much lower in price than many with its Friday Lenten fish fry, at $13.99 and only $3.99 for two more pieces. And always with seafood chowder. And served until 10 p.m., before the young guns and their music take over. But wait, it is being outdone by The Hudson Tap, two blocks down, at $12.99, and the same value for those couple of added fillet pieces. And their chowder is clam.
And also at The Tap, on St. Paddy’s the Irish drinks offered include Smithwick’s ale and like Paddy Ryan’s, Shanky’s whiskey, not to mention the added in Harp lager.
To the south at the Sub House is a sandwich take on the Rueben that has warm roast beef and onion, too.
More northernly, in New Richmond, besides the big late afternoon parade, Nootz & Oz will show-off and showcase their newly installed end-to-end granite bar-rail and also serve you a Guinness on it for only $4. For more details on the parade, check out McCabe’s Shamrock Club, (which before March even arrived had shorn up all its marketing funds for that longtime event, which basically sells itself anyway).
For those counting, if you want to get in your full dozen hours of partying at the Wild Badger/Mallards, you can get it going at 11 a.m. at the former, but then at the latter things wrap up way before Irish time but it will still be just ducky to conclude at 11 p.m. And though gold not green (there’s room for both), you can get Fireball shots at the Wild Badger for a wee $3, since its a Friday special.

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