Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Bar Ideas

Happy St. Paddy’s Day everyone! With so many thirsty leprechauns running around on March 17th, you’ll want to make sure they find their pot of gold at the end of your rainbow. So here are some St. Patrick’s day bar ideas that won’t leave it up to luck. 

Get A Taste of Ireland 

With so many Irish and Irish-inspired drinks to choose from, why choose at all? Consider offering a beer tasting so everyone has a chance to taste the best Ireland has to offer.  

St. Patrick’s Day Irish Beer Ideas

It goes without saying that Irish-themed pubs already have authentic Irish beer and whiskey on hand, but for general restaurants and bars who still want to cash in on St. Patty’s day, be sure to place your orders with plenty of time to spare. Keep in mind that it takes at least 1-5 business days but as many as 14 for the beer to arrive at your door.

You’ll definitely be feeling the luck of the Irish with these bartending staples:  

• Guinness 


• Irish red ale


• Irish dry stout 


• Harp lager

Patrick’s Day Irish Cocktail Ideas

For green, green and more Irish, check out these St. Patrick’s day drink ideas that will have your merrymakers lapping up the dregs: 

• Irish coffee – Put an ounce of Bailey’s Irish Cream into a mug of coffee and top it off with some fluffy whipped cream. It definitely couldn’t hurt to drop in a spoonful or two of sugar, either.


• Irish car bomb – Bailey’s Irish Cream. Jameson Irish Whiskey. Guinness stout beer. 3 ingredients for an hour of fun.


• Irish Manhattan – Bring Ireland to your bar with an ounce of Irish whiskey, a splash or two of sweet vermouth and your choice of bitters. Get points for presentation by adding an orange peel or maraschino cherries.


• Irish Black and tan – Pour one part Guinness stout and one part Harp over the back of a spoon. The tan beer must be on the bottom, as it’s denser. The spoon helps evenly distribute the Guinness, so the drink stays two-tone instead of just tan.


• Irish eyes – You’ll need Irish whiskey, cream, green crème de menthe liqueur and maraschino cherries. Play around with the ratios and make it a St. Patrick’s day special.

St. Patrick’s Day Decoration Ideas 

St. Patrick’s day decorations aren’t limited to four-leaf clovers and green tinsel. Here are some St. Patrick’s day bar ideas that will knock the green socks off of even your most festive of partygoers:

• Pot of gold tabletop decorations – Get yourself a black caldron off Amazon, fill it to the brim with chocolate coins and stick in a four-leaf clover. Not only will your patrons enjoy the eye candy, but they can eat it, too!


• Dress up the wine and beer bottles – Paint a couple beer and wine bottles with green paint, wrap their waist with black construction paper, glue on a couple of buttons, and, ta-da, you got yourself some mini leprechauns! Place them around the bar and sneak them onto the liquor shelf for a couple of much-needed drinking companions.


• Green straws and cocktail garnishes – Decorating is all in the little things. Pay attention to detail by adding green straws to cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages. To dress up the drinks, make a skewer of festive garnishes like green olives, pickles, asparagus, and, let’s not forget, the Irish flag.


• Play classic Irish music – Okay, so this one isn’t exactly a décor idea, but St. Patty’s day celebrations are all about setting the scene. So play some traditional Irish music to set the tone. Just be sure not to play it too loud! (If you need help, Spotify has a diverse selection of St. Paddy’s Day playlists that you can quickly pop on the speakers.)

A Staff of Leprechauns 

For this St. Patrick’s day bar idea, encourage your staff to dress in green or provide outfits they can change into. Formal leprechaun attire includes:

• Green or black top hat 


• White, striped or green stockings or knee-high socks


• Bow tie 


• Buckled shoes 


• Fake (or real) beard


• Pipe 


• Coat or apron

You can save money by asking your staff if anyone already owns a leprechaun costume. Otherwise, you could buy the supplies for one official house leprechaun while everyone else wears green clothing and/or accessories. 

Traditional Irish Pub Games 

To get St. Paddy’s Day celebrators to stop their bar crawl at your bar, you’ll need to provide them an experience they won’t find anywhere else. Get thirsty patrons to stay longer–and drink more–by offering free and wholesome entertainment.

• Rings – Rings are a traditional Irish game ideal for small spaces. The goal is to get 6 rings onto a shield-shaped board with 13 hooks, each of which has its own point-scoring value.


• Darts – Darts is another classic game loved by the Irish. So much so they even have their own boards.


• Bags – This St. Patrick’s day bar idea isn’t specifically Irish, but who doesn’t love a round of bags? If the weather permits, go outside for some good ol’ fashion fun. 


• Trivia – Whether it be trivia on Irish pop culture, historic landmarks or history, you can create your own trivia game via software like Kahoot. The only thing people need is their phones and the link!

Consider making these games into a bar-wide contest. Instead of rewarding them with only one free drink, give them free drinking privileges for the rest of the day. This marketing tactic not only raises the stakes but it forces the winner’s entire party to stay and spend more, reserving their business from your competitors.