St. Patrick’s Day celebration floods Escazú with green beer
Thousands of revelers flocked to Escazú this weekend to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, thanks to a high-concept carnival hosted by NuShark Media. There was live music. There were keg-stands. There were even trampolines. Costumed buskers floated through the crowd, dressed as leprechauns, warlocks and Tolkienian villains. Women carried trays and wore fetching peasant dresses, to the delight of swaying young men. It’s hard to say what the fifth century Apostle of Ireland would have thought of the mayhem, but the mostly Tico crowd certainly embraced the Irish spirit – emphasis on the spirits.
Gimmicks aside, the celebration was a serious showcase for Costa Rican microbreweries, and guests tried every variety of cerveza artesanal, including a green-tinted beer created by Bodega de Chema and Stiefel Pub. Brewed specifically for the occasion, the “Gaze of the Leprechaun” incorporated actual Irish moss. The exotic ingredient only made it more enticing, and 60 gallons of the stuff had vanished by Saturday night. As the two-day event wound down on Sunday night, the carnival tents still throbbed with people, and an Irish band was going strong at 8:30 p.m.
Did any actual Irish people attend?
“I think a few did,” said one brewer. “There are some Irish living in Escazú, and I think they came. But that’s not important. It’s the celebration that matters.”
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
- Robert Isenberg/The Tico Times
You may be interested

Surge in young migrant border arrivals poses challenge for United States
Laura BONILLA / AFP - March 6, 2021Thousands of minors without papers are arriving at the US border with Mexico, presenting President Joe Biden with a potentially…

Six arrested in Costa Rica with 1.1 metric tons of cocaine
AFP and The Tico Times - March 6, 2021Costa Rican authorities seized 1.1 metric tons of cocaine and detained six men — four Colombians and two Costa Ricans…

One year after first case, Costa Rica to broadcast Covid memorial
The Tico Times - March 5, 2021Costa Rica confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 6, 2020. By the end of the month, the country had…