What do non beer drinkers drink in Ireland
 

Sad to say, we're going to Ireland and one of us isn't too fond of beer. The other will probably drink enough for the both of us. Does one look odd ordering a glass of wine or mixed drink in a pub?

I cannot imagine anyone looking at anyone "funny" who was drinking booze in that country.

In any pub, it matters not what you drink but if you are enjoying yourself. They don't care if you are drinking a pint, a dram, a soda or hot tea, or any other beverage for that matter. It only matters that you are having a good time and enjoying your time among the Irish.

I and one companion drink Jamesons, another in our group drinks Guiness religiously, another "politely" sips sherry or hot tea.

You will do just fine with wine or a mixed drink.

Slan Beo,

Bit Devine

Although you might look a little odd in some places if you order Long Island Iced Tea or a Cosmo. Just keep in mind where you are.

And then there's always Bulmers!

My wife orders wine all of the time. Try the cider too.

Bill

I second the Bulmers- I'm not a big beer drinker (not much of a drinker, period) and I really came to love a Bulmers!

%%-

So....what is/are these Bulmers? Thanks

Cider

Bulmers is an approximation to cider. Think of a sweet carbonated apple drink with enough alcohol to make driving home a bad idea.

Many people drink wine in pubs. It is normally served in an 18.5 cl bottle -- a little over a quarter of a standard bottle of wine. The choice is quite limited (often one red, one white) and you should not expect very high quality.

In a pub you drink what you want and eat what you want. I never had a problem one way or the other.

In Wales for example, the group I was with were dedicated beer swillers, except our driver. My wife and I leave alcohol alone for various reasons, mostly medical.

No one ever blinked an eye. It is non professional. Serve the customer what he or she wants, period. The same is true all over Europe, even France. No wine? No questions asked and no questions implied.

Hope you don't mind me adding this question on here...while the topic it drinking and beer :)

I'm a diehard Corona with a lime person...any Irish beers that would be similar?

ugh! the topic IS not IT (I sound like a cavewoman there)

Padraig; love your definition of cider...

You can get corona here as well and of course they serve it with lime. We do have pretty much the same beers and a few europe4n ones as well :-) If they serve cocktails you will get a cosmo most places as well as any other but it will be pricey. Bulmers Cider is Sweet as Padraig said while many of the UK ones they use for snakebites in the U.S. would be sour. Try bulmers its easy to drink. I don't drink often beer and have no problem with all the other options :-)

Chloe, Chloe, Chloe ... Corona ... in Ireland? :-)

OK, if you must. I'll admit, I haven't paid much attention but it may not be as easy to find in smaller pubs. You could get crazy and try harp though. It's a basic pale lager, not enough different from most of the standard American versions to warrant a description. It can be found all over Ireland and you can probably get the bartender to give you a lime.

You certainly won't find any fine wines in the small bottles in Ireland, but there are certainly drinkable wines available. It really depends on the pub though. We found some that would have 2-4 each of reds and whites and others would have just one. Those w/ just one tended to have the worst of the lot.

Some pubs have a reputation for good food and will have better wines by the bottle. For instance, Mary Ann's in Castletowshend for instance has a pretty good wine list.

Bill

We spent a weekend in Dublin just this past January, and while my husband loves beer, I prefer wine. I drank wine in the pubs, and while it was not the best wine, no one cared at all about what I was drinking!

Not to quibble with you, Bill, as you have far more experience traveling in Ireland than I have! But, as was mentioned on Joan's thread about what the younger generation in Ireland drinks, Corona is actually pretty popular. My impression is that it's more popular among the Irish than Harp. When I discussed all of this with my daughter's housemates and a friend, they said that Corona is their choice when it comes to a non-Irish beer. And one of them told me that Harp is produced more for tourists than locals.

I should have said, Corona is their favorite non-Guinness beer (rather than saying it's their favorite non-Irish beer). It's what they choose to drink when they know they'll be drinking a lot (like St. Patrick's Day!) because they see it as a "lighter" beer. But, Chloe, the bottom line is that you shouldn't have any trouble finding Corona!

Hi, interesting about Corona. I love beer and am spoilt with lots of good micro breweries here in Canada but my sister dislikes all beer except for Corona. Perhaps they should market it as 'the beer for those who dislike beer'. lol