Paddy's To Stay Closed on St. Paddy's Day, What Now?

In a stinging reminder that Beijing is still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crackdown, despite a few dozen days without a local transmission, Paddy O’Shea’s has, with a heavy heart informed its customers that the pub will be closed for St. Patrick’s Day this year, which falls on Wednesday, Mar 17.

As one of the best community pubs in the world (according to the Irish Pubs Global Awards) and one of the oldest pubs in Beijing, Paddy’s has long been a favorite destination for the Irish holiday. However, with complaints from neighbors who are none too happy seeing swaths of tipsy foreigners, the bar has also become a favorite destination for the authorities to crack down, especially during times of large gatherings. So, the management has agreed to close their doors for the holiday for the second year in a row.

“Many people don’t understand why, because they see that many other places are staying open,” says Paddy’s owner, Mathieu Herout. “But the reality is, we are in a different world than a lot of those places.” Indeed, anti-gathering enforcement has been uneven throughout the city, and Paddy’s has borne the brunt. Herout adds that closing now will make it easier for the pub to stay open down the line.

So, what now?

If you’ve already requested the following day off from work, there’s nothing stopping you from doing a bit of bar-hopping around town in honor of Ireland’s patron saint – though it seems you’ll have slim pickings for a true Paddy's Day party, as so far only The Local has stepped up to offer green beer and clover-filled festivities.

On the other hand, this could be a prime opportunity to throw your own St. Patrick’s Day Party. You can always stock up on cans of Guinness and bottles of Jameson, but here’s a secret: there’s actually no big secret to making green beer. It’s literally just a few drops of food coloring.

Where to get food coloring? You already know the answer: Taobao. Simply search 食用色素 (shíyòng sèsù food coloring – adding 绿色 lǜsè green to the search won’t help because vendors do not list colors individually). Be careful not to accidentally buy a whole batch of colors, or you’ll end up with a load of dye you don’t need, unless you’re really into baking macaroons.

If you see the brand Americolor, they will let you purchase individual colors – search for the one that says "Leaf Green" on the label. For those who prefer to go all-natural, there’s also a TMall vendor selling spinach powder as food coloring. We can’t promise it won’t make your beer taste like spinach, but it just may give you the Popeye strength to overcome your hangover.

One final note – be sure to use a light-colored beer. Any cheap Chinese lager should do, but if you prefer a bit more taste, just be sure to avoid beers that already come with their own deep hues.

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Images: UNSPLASH, Tripadvisor