Southside Sips: When Irish Eyes Are Caffeinated

As you well know (don’t you?!), Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day. But today? Today is … National Espresso Martini Day!

We know, we know — these national days, they’re bananas. Did you know you can even apply to create your own? It’s true. Basically, there are a few National Day businesses to whom you can apply to create your very own holiday. Pick your date, write a compelling reason why and pay a fee to do so — that’s it. And while they won’t show up on the federal calendar (thank goodness), they will be logged in the National Calendar archives from here on in, as if by leprechaun magic.

For the cynical of us: They aren’t real holidays, of course. But if you want to pivot to a different view, look at it as a way to just highlight whatever makes you happy. Cats, rainbows, bagpipes, William Shatner. There’s a National Holiday for pretty much everything (and some things you didn’t even realize existed).

But back to the matter at hand, which is far more pressing: What will you drink tonight? An espresso martini for National Espresso Martini Day, or kick off St. Pat’s weekend with a dram of Irish whiskey? Hamptons-loving (and sometimes dwelling) “Ray Donovan” star Liev Schreiber launched his own Irish whiskey, Sláinte (available at Bottle Hampton), in 2022, as many a celebrity has done. His actually has a giving component: for every bottle sold, a dollar goes to BlueCheck, the humanitarian organization founded by Schreiber to provide relief to war-torn Ukraine. We can dig that.

The Erin Isle spirit has come up with a cocktail to both honor the (legitimate!) Irish holiday and allow the espresso martini-loving crowd to indulge, too. Because even espresso is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.