Guinness, green beer will be flowing at Barrie pubs for St. Patrick's Day

Monday is St. Patrick’s Day — a day where no matter where a person was born, nearly everybody is just a little bit Irish.

In preparation for the popular Irish holiday, local pubs and restaurants have been getting in the Irish spirit over the last few days, as they hang shamrocks and stock up on green food colouring for the inevitable request for green beer.

“It already has been a great couple days at Donaleighs getting ready for Monday,” says Steve Ricalis, owner of the Dunlop Street East Irish pub. 

On Sunday, Ricalis said the downtown pub was hosting Irish-themed trivia and staff were expecting some people to come out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early.  

“(For) the big day coming tomorrow … we have a live band starting at 7 p.m. (and) lots of Guinness will be flowing," he says. 

Although the city recently approved plans that would allow some downtown restaurants to open their patios a month early in time for the celebration, unfortunately, it didn’t look like Mother Nature was going to co-operate.

“If we do have a lineup that means that people in line could wait on the patio and have a cocktail while they’re waiting to get in,” he says.

Sarah Lynne Maloney, owner of Malones Pint House, told BarrieToday they were hoping the warmer weather and rain would have helped wash away the snow in the parking lot in order to allow them to open up the patio to customers, but with the forecast not expected to peak much above one degree on Monday, she’s not counting on it.

“I’ve always loved the other nice March 17 summer-like days when we have been able to have our patio open and can double in capacity. Our patio is so full of snow. I was really hoping the rain would keep coming so we could do something … but that will be a game time decision tomorrow.”

Customers have been known to start lining up at the Bradford Street pub as early as 10 a.m. she said, although they don’t open the doors until 11 a.m.

“We don't open early on St. Patrick's Day. The day is long enough as it is,” she joked. “Generally people start gathering in the parking lot around 10:15.”

The bar and restaurant will have live music beginning at noon with Sir Erik Kidd, DJ Marty O’Jameson and then beginning at 6 p.m., the Robb Watts Trio will take over the stage.

“We will see how it goes, because it’s a Monday (but) generally, the day of the week doesn’t matter,” said Maloney. “People have been coming out all weekend long, dressed up and having a great time, but normally we concentrate more on the actual day.”

St. Patrick’s Day, she said, is by far the busiest day of the year for them.

“There’s not normally any other times we have lineups of people that are waiting to come in.”

Maloney said while some customers do ask for green beer, she’s expecting the Guinness taps will be working overtime tomorrow. 

“It’s a novelty and people do enjoy it. It’s funny after you pour a bunch of beers all day your hands are green by the end of the day … but normally our day is lots of Guinness.”