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Police: Woman was found smoking marijuana on Public Square during parade

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Remember When: Take a trip back to the 1949 movie theaters and remember the double-features

<p>Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick&#8217;s Day. With the last name of McCabe I have no problem being Irish on this day or any day. On parade day in Wilkes-Barre I dawn my kilt, high wool socks and my sporran and head to Senunas&#8217; Bar on North Main Street to celebrate my heritage with a few beers and good friends. This is a tradition of mine for quite some time and I look forward to it every year. I love the atmosphere on parade day which includes the bag pipers and the occasional visit from some of Wyoming Valley&#8217;s political dignitaries.</p><p>Along with toasting the Irish at Senunas&#8217; I used to faithfully march in the parade with either the Times Leader or the Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. A few years ago, several of us from the Times Leader rented one of those big balloon characters, dolled up in green and loaded our carrier bags with goodies for kids along the parade route. As the day got closer we could see the temperature was going to be in the teens which made those weak at heart drop out. I was not one of them. This was my tradition and cold weather wasn&#8217;t going to stop me.</p><p>As parade day came, the weather forecast did not change. The thermometer plunged which meant dressing in layers was mandatory. As our group met at South Main Street, we were guided over to a specified area to get our big balloon. We saw the &#8220;Big Balloon Guy&#8221; was having some trouble blowing up the balloon with helium. In cold temperatures the helium molecules become less energetic which causes the gas to shrink. Our balloon guy failed to think about that when he was blowing up the parade balloons. We stood there for more than an hour waiting for a balloon that was never going to inflate.</p><p>It was a brutal parade day, which made me reconsider marching in the future. After careful consideration and the promise of a warm pub and a cold beer, I decided I would forego marching in the parade from that day on. Instead I meet up with friends at Senunas&#8217; to meet the parade goers with a smile and a cold Irish beer.</p><p>Here are a few good Irish beers I recommend:</p><p><strong>Devils Backbone</strong> (Kinnegar Brewing Co., County of Donegal, Ireland &#8211; 4.9% ABV) This amber Irish Ale is named after a beach in Donegal. It has a well-balanced full bodied flavor with a magical chocolate finish.</p><p><strong>O&#8217;Hara&#8217;s Leann Follain</strong> (Carlow Brewing Co., County of Carlow, Ireland &#8211; 6.0% ABV) Of all the Irish beers, this is one of my favorites. This is a great example of an extra stout filled with chocolate and milky coffee flavors. The alcohol is well hidden throughout the beer and it warms you after it&#8217;s swallowed. I had my first Leann Follain in a small pub on the banks of the Rings of Kerry.</p><p><strong>The White Hag</strong> (Black Bear Microbrewery, Ono, Maine &#8211; 10.2%ABV) While working in Maine I tried The White Hag. This imperial oatmeal stout boasted flavors of chocolate, malty biscuits and red and dark berries with back notes of maple syrup. Simply delicious. It was a well-blended but complex stout.</p><p><strong>Harp Lager</strong> (Guinness Ltd., Dublin, Ireland &#8211; 5.0% ABV) If you want a smooth Irish made beer you can drink all day, this is it. Harp Lager starts with a grassy flavor that finishes with sweet after tones. It&#8217;s a really smooth-drinking beer.</p><p><strong>Smithwick&#8217;s Irish Ale</strong> (Guinness Ltd., Dublin, Ireland &#8211; 4.5% ABV) I had my first Smithwick&#8217;s Irish Ale while eating bangers and mash at Brazen Head in Dublin. The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to 1193. Smithwick&#8217;s boasts a caramel maltiness along with a smooth hoppy flavor.</p><p>If you can&#8217;t find any of these Irish beers, go to the traditional standbys of Killian&#8217;s Irish Red, Murphy&#8217;s Irish Stout or Guinness.</p><p>Happy St. Patrick&#8217;s Day and make sure you call for a ride or have a designated driver when you are done celebrating.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jim McCabe The Beer Meister </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_james.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jim McCabe The Beer Meister </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_modelo.jpg">
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Jim McCabe</p><p>The Beer Meister</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>The Beer Meister is a new column that will appear twice a month in the Times Leader</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p style="text-align: left;">Jim McCabe is an avid beer enthusiast and the circulation manager for the Times Leader.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

The Beer Meister: Here are a few off-the-beaten-path Irish beers to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day