Tips On Drinking Like An Irishman In The South Bay
The Hermosa Beach Pier is a lively place any time of the year, but there are certain occasions when it really gets especially spirited.
One of those is on St. Patrick’s Day (and this is addition to the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is the previous Saturday. In 2017 that puts in on March 11. St. Paddy’s Day itself is on a Thursday. Talk about March Madness!
It’s not that Hermosa Beach is a big Irish community, it’s just that the community likes to drink a lot of beer. And St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect occasion for people to drink a lot of beer.
The big party day is during and after the parade. With a dozen bars right there at Pier Ave., it’s natural to go into them after the parade, which runs from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The main bars are Sharkeez, Patrick Molloy’s, the new Tower 12 and Hennessey’s Tavern, and Waterman’s Grill and Fat Face Fenner’s Faloon and American Junkie also are busy. There are bands at the legendary Lighthouse, and around the corner on 8th and Hermosa Ave. is Barnacles, a dive with a patio that’s packed,
As far as Irish music, it’s more prevalent earlier in the day. By night, it gives way to more modern music, especially at Sharkeez and Molloy’s. No place has a live Irish band – there are only a few of them in the entire LA area and they command a premium price on this day – but a bagpipe band makes continual appearances in the bars.
Around the corner is another fun locals dive called Barnacles.
Some of the bars on the pier may charge a cover of $5 or $10 on St. Paddy’s Day or even after the parade.
PubClub.com Party Tip: Arrive by 5 for when St. Patrick’s Day falls during the week. The bars on the Pier are small and people arrive en masse when they get off work. Typically there are lines by 6 and by 8 or 9 it’s like a Friday or Saturday night. And beware of those cover charges!
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