According to Brewer’s Association, the traditional Irish stout falls into two categories, depending on alcohol strength. These two style categories include the Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout (think Guinness Draught) and Foreign Export-Style Stout (think Guiness Foreign Extra Stout). Both styles are black in color with prominent coffee-like roasted malt aromas. Each boasts an initial malt sweetness with hints of caramel flavor and distinctively bitter, dry-roasted finish. Classic Irish-Style Dry Stouts have an alcohol range of 3.8-5% abv., while Foreign Export-Style Stouts are between 4.5-7.5% abv.

Here is a list of 10 Wench-approved craft beer substitutions for Guinness, in no particular order. Can’t find any of the beers listed below? Check out RateBeer.com for a great list of Irish-inspired dry stouts. Cheers!

10 Craft Beer Alternatives for Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day

1. Brooklyn Irish Dry Stout

Commercial Description: Brooklyn Irish Stout is brewed the old-fashioned way, without the nitrogen addition. A large portion of the grain is roasted like coffee beans, developing the typical color and flavor of this beer. Aside from British pale malts, the beer includes caramel malts, black patent malt, unmalted black barley and a proportion of flaked raw barley, which helps the beer develop a beautiful, thick natural head. 4.7% abv

2. Moylans Dragoons Dry Irish Stout

Commercial Description: Dry, roasty and incredibly rich in flavor, Dragoons Dry Irish Stout is made with a unique blend of imported hops and malted barley from the United Kingdom. This award winning stout is brewed in the Irish tradition to commemorate General Stephen Moylan, Irish-born commander of the 4th Continental Dragoons during the American Revolutionary War. 8% abv.

3. Boulevard Dry Stout

Commercial Description: Velvety black and perfectly opaque, this surprisingly smooth, drinkable beer is a delightful harmony of smoky roasted flavors and tangy, coffee-like notes. Available only on tap at fine establishments throughout our distribution region. 4.9% abv.

4. Short’s Uncle Stevie Irish Stout

Commercial Description: Short’s version of the classic Irish Stout, complete with a dark color, soft head, and smooth full flavor typical of this lighter bodied style. A simple grist formula provides a base of roasted malt flavors while the infusion of nitrogen adds the creamy drinkability everyone loves. 5.5% abv.

5. Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout

Commercial Description: Starr Hill’s Dark Starr Stout has won more national and international awards than any other Dry Irish Stout in the country. Brewed with roasted barley, and with hints of coffee and dark chocolate, it packs a robust taste into a surprisingly light body. This signature brew pours like velvet and drinks like a slice of grandma’s pumpernickel bread. 5.2% abv.

6. North Coast Old No. #38

Commercial Description: Named for a retired California Western Railroad steam engine on the Fort Bragg to Willits run through the Redwoods, Old No. 38 Stout is a smooth, firm-bodied stout with the toasted character and coffee notes of dark malts and roasted barley. 5.4% abv.

7. Sprecher Irish-style Stout

Commercial Description: This tribute to St. Patrick’s Day is smooth and creamy, with distinctive flavors and aromas reminiscent of bitter-sweet chocolate and dark coffee. Just one precious batch of this robust, ebony colored stout is brewed each year. 5.73% abv

8. Avery Out of Bounds Stout

Commercial Description: This big, roasty stout takes flavor to the extreme. We aren’t afraid to use plenty of rich roasted barley and a mountain of hops to give this full-bodied stout that little extra something you’ve been looking for in a beer. 6.3% abv.

9. Bison Chocolate Stout

Commercial Description: Like Barry White’s voice in a bottle, Bison’s Chocolate Stout is a dark, slow-pouring aphrodisiac of the smoothest proportions. Rich and roasty with charismatic flavors of dark chocolate and espresso, and creamy, dry finish. 5% abv. (Disclaimer: I work for Bison)

10. Saranac Irish Stout

Commercial Description: Deep within the heart of the Irish lies an uncanny passion for what they call “Leann Dubh”, or black ale.  Saranac Irish Stout is a lavish beer blended with dark malts to create a coffee like taste.  Look for a roasted character that is surprisingly smooth and refreshing, pint after pint. 5.5% abv.

___________________________

Slainte!

Nonetheless, St Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays of all time to celebrate. Although my family has little-to-no known Irish heritage, my parents have always actively observed St. Patrick’s Day as if they were, in fact, Irish.

My mother had an “Irish Catholic” upbringing and attended Boston College (errr enough said). My parents got married in Boston and, to this day, it is one of their favorite destination cities.

If you do not know anything about Boston, know this: they LOVE St. Patrick’s Day. Most of it has to do with the HUGE population of Irish descendants in the area (and well, the state). My parents must have learned a lot while living in Boston because I have memories of my parents throwing the most EPIC St. Patrick’s Day parties when we lived in NY.

Anyways, moral of the story? I love St. Patrick’s Day. I love Irish music and I especially love Irish drinking songs. In fact, my family and I have taken road trips where all we did was listen to Irish drinking songs. And the funny part is how we all know the words!

So now you must be thinking, if I love St. Patrick’s Day so much, WHERE, WHAT and HOW will I be celebrating it this year? Well, let me tell you! The Wench is going to … wait for it, wait for it.

HOLLYWOOD!

WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY?

Hollywood Gets Lucky at the LA St. Patty’s Fest on March 14, 2010

(Hollywood, CA) LA St. Patrick’s Day Festival presented by PINK’S Hot Dogs and Tullemore Dew Irish Whiskey, invites you for a fun-filled day of Irish food, drinks, and live entertainment Sunday, March 14. Presented by event will take place at the Taglyan Complex, 1201 N. Vine St., Hollywood, from 2:00 – 7:00 pm.

Each ticket will grant an all-inclusive interaction with an assortment of breweries, wineries, spirits, great food and dessert.

The event will feature, the world-renowned Claddagh Dance Company, The LA Police Emerald Society, and Drevon the Leprechaun. Plus a live karaoke band, Steel Rod will be on hand to back up attendees as they step up to become a lead singer of own band.

Remember to dress in your most dapper or most casual green clothing, as this is a certified “Green” event, by the State of California. The event promises to bring attendees together, bonding over beer pong, flip cup, or the green champagne, compliments of Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

The first 150 attendees will receive a complimentary ticket to a Los Angeles Clippers game, courtesy of owners Mr. & Mrs. Donald Sterling.

Tickets are available in advance for $100 per person, at www.stpattysfest.com or at any Vendome Wine and Sprits locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Proceeds of the event will go to The Children’s Tumor Foundation and The Irish Center.

LA St. Patty’s Fest is produced by Barcelona Enterprises, a Los Angeles based events and marketing company.

For more information about the LA St. Patty’s Fest 2010, call (213) 915-8003 or visit the website at www.stpattysfest.com.

The event is sponsored by Feckin Irish Whiskey, Asahi Beer, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Marani Premium Vodka Spirit, Beer Wars, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Firestone Walker, Buckbean Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co., Pig n’ Whistle, Stone Brewing Co., Cabot, Edison, Sweet Leaf Iced Teas, Teteo, RND, Ballast Point Brewing Co., Angel Tequila, Blue Angel, ARGCA, Pacifico Sur Tutunjian, Moonshot, Talin Cellars, See’s Candies, Eternal Artesian Water, Ventura Limoncello Company, BreakAwaySpirits.Com, Kröl Vodka, Pyramid Breweries, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Everybody’s Nuts! Pistachios, Nakhon Beer, Fireman’s Brew, Weihenstephan, Birra Morettia, Fischer, Affligem, North Coast Brewing Co., Green Flash Brewing Co., Glee Gum, Knott’s Berry Farm, Cascadian Farm Organic, Lärabar, Boar’s Head, American Cinematheque, Shamrock Empire Inc.,Tazo, IZZE Sparkling Juice, Granola Garden, Irish Thug, The Irish Center of Southern California, Charity Lives, Don Longo, and Organic Nation. Media sponsors are 100.3 FM The Sound, Los Angeles Circles, IRFT, and Mutineer.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

“Sierra Club’s Green Life blog has a list of green beers for St. Paddy’s day. Check out the comments, too, where readers share their local favorites and remind us that local brews might have a smaller carbon footprint.

Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company is the closest brewery mentioned in the article. Do we have any breweries in Columbus making strong attempts to be more sustainable? Maybe The Columbus Beer Wench can help us out!

What’s your favorite local brew?”

Always up for a challenge, I decided to take it upon myself to do some research.

And with St. Patrick’s Day less than 12 hours away — I think it only appropriate to write a blog on “Green Beer.”

In my research, I came across several United States Breweries who are actively committed to being environmental conscientious and use sustainable practices.

The most impressive is the New Belgium Brewing Co., located in Fort Collins, CO.

The following list highlights the beliefs of the New Belgium Brewing Co.:

We believe, to be environmental stewards, we need to:

1. Lovingly care for the planet that sustains us.
2. Steward natural resources by closing the loops between waste and input.
3. Minimize the environmental impact of shipping our beer.
4. Reduce our dependence on coal-fired electricity.
5. Protect our precious Rocky Mountain water resources.
6. Focus our efforts on conservation and efficiency.
7. Support innovative technology.
8. Model joyful environmentalism through our commitment to relationships, continuous improvement, and the camaraderie and cheer of beer

The following list highlights the actual sustainable practices of the New Belgium Brewing Co.:

1. Increased efficiencies in the brewing process
2. Utilized green design throughout our building. (Lighting. HVAC. Materials.)
3. Implemented a process for treating our wastewater
4. On-site energy production
5. Wind-powered electricity since 1999
6. Employ a High Involvement Culture
7. Sustainable Eventing
8. Actionable Advocacy

a. We’re members of 1% For the Planet, which means that, through donations and fund-raisers, 1% of our revenue goes to environmental non-profits.
b. Team Wonderbike, our bicycle commuter advocacy program, has more than 10,000 members who have pledged to offset more than eight million car miles by riding their bikes more over the next twelve months.
c. Public speaking/education: Because we make and sell beer, people are interested in our story. We’ve been very successful while being values-driven and we we strive to be a business role model.
d. To encourage sustainable transportation, every employee gets a custom cruiser bike after one-year of employment.

• Constant benchmarking

• Partnering to support innovative technology

The following is a list of additional breweries around the U.S. who are also committed to sustainable practices:

• Brooklyn Brewery – In 2003, Brooklyn Brewery became the first NYC company to switch to 100% wind-generated electricity. It also pays farmers in New Jersey to swing by and pick up the “spent grain” — the remaining husks that are left over after brewing. The farmers then feed the nutritious grains to their livestock, making good use of Brooklyn Brewery’s waste.
• Odell’s Brewing Co. – Odell’s is actively helping reduce greenhouse gas through solid waste (paper, glass, plastic, etc.) recycling; staggering production to avoid using energy during peak demand times; investing in and using renewable energy sources; using skylights for natural light; promoting the “Bike to Work Day” Business Challenge and the “Drive Less” Challenge. They use wind power for 100% of their electrical needs, reducing the demand for conventional, fossil-fuel-burning energy and reducing emissions of CO2, particulate matter and other pollutants. Odell’s also fuels all their diesel trucks with biodiesel, a renewable fuel made from American-grown vegetable oilseed crops.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.: Sierra Nevada uses a combination of fuel cells and solar panels. They have made great strides around recycling, heat recovery, carbon-dioxide recovery, water conservation, and energy efficiency. In an effort to quantify and begin reductions, Sierra Nevada joined the California Climate Action Registry. The Registry is a voluntary reporting program that allows us a way to report and certify our GHG emissions
• Wolavers and Butte Creek offer organic pale ales, IPAs, porters, stouts, etc.

The closest eco-friendly brewing company to Columbus, OH is the Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, OH.

Great Lakes Brewing Company is an environmentally and socially conscious brewer of award-winning, all natural beer. The care that goes into the beer resonates from a commitment to the community and environment, otherwise known as the “Triple Bottom Line” – to engage in economic, social and environmental practices that achieve a sustainable, yet profitable, business. These include:

• Reducing, reusing and recycling
• Changing natural resource use from “Take, Make, Waste” to “Take,
  Make, Remake”
• Implementing efficient energy practices
• Investing in the community through non-profit organizations
• Supporting sustainable urban renewal projects

The three waves in the company logo not only reflect this Triple Bottom Line philosophy, they represent a concerted effort to the respectful use of beer’s most valuable ingredient – water. Since beer is over 90% water, GLBC understands that quality water translates into a great beer drinking experience, so only the freshest water from the Great Lakes region is used.

Just because the beer itself may not be “green” does not mean that it cannot be consumed “green.” What do I mean by this? Purchasing a beer brewed locally, from the actual location, reduces its carbon footprint. Purchasing the beer from draft or recycling the bottle after consumption also reduces the carbon footprint. What exactly do I mean by carbon footprint?

A Carbon Footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the direct / primary footprint and the indirect / secondary footprint.

1. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).

2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use – those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

The Wench’s tips to reducing your beer’s carbon footprint:

• Bike or walk to a local brewery.
• Purchase a beer made on-site.
• Drink a draft. Recycle the bottle after consumption.
• Serve as an environmental steward by encouraging your local breweries to partake in more sustainable practices!

Why not make this St. Patrick’s Day a little more green by drinking green! I challenge you to drink beers from any of the breweries listed above as well as drinking from our local breweries in Columbus, OH. (Oh, and Green Buckeye — the answer to your question: Barley’s Brewing Co. is my favorite local brewery!)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. CHEERS!