☘️ Classic Irish Drinking Games

These traditional games have been played in Irish pubs for generations. Some with actual Irish roots, others just… enthusiastically adopted.

1. Irish Poker

Players: 4-10 | Equipment: Deck of cards

A fast-paced card guessing game with escalating stakes:

• Round 1: Red or Black? (Wrong = 1 drink)
• Round 2: Higher or Lower than your first card? (Wrong = 2 drinks)
• Round 3: Inside or Outside the range of your two cards? (Wrong = 3 drinks)
• Round 4: Guess the suit (Wrong = 4 drinks)

After everyone has four cards, flip community cards. Match = give out that many drinks!

2. Quarters (Irish Rules)

Players: 3-8 | Equipment: Quarter, shot glass, Guinness

The classic bouncing game with an Irish twist:

• Bounce a quarter off the table into a shot glass
• Make it? Choose someone to drink
• Miss three in a row? Take a “Guinness penalty” (full pint chug)
• Anyone who catches a bouncing quarter before it lands = immune for one round

3. 31 (Irish Blackjack)

Players: 4-8 | Equipment: Deck of cards, 3 lives per player

Get as close to 31 as possible with three cards of the same suit:

• Face cards = 10, Aces = 11, others = face value
• Draw and discard until someone knocks
• Lowest hand loses a life
• Lose a life = take a shot of Irish whiskey
• Lose all three lives = wear the shamrock of shame (green marker on forehead)

4. Leprechaun in the Middle

Players: 5+ | Equipment: Green hat, drinks

Like “Thumper” meets Irish chaos:

• One person wears the green leprechaun hat and sits in the middle
• Others sit in a circle chanting “WHO STOLE ME GOLD?!”
• Leprechaun points at someone who must immediately accuse someone else
• Hesitation, laughing, or wrong accusations = drink and become the leprechaun

5. Blarney Stone

Players: 4+ | Equipment: A smooth stone or rock, drinks

The gift of gab… or drinks:

• Pass the “Blarney Stone” around while telling a story
• When music stops (or someone yells “BLARNEY!”), holder must finish their story in one breath
• If you can’t finish smoothly = drink
• If others don’t believe your story = everyone votes, liar drinks double

🟢 Green-Themed Party Games

These games embrace the St. Patrick’s Day aesthetic. The more green, the better.

6. Green Cup Pong

Players: 2-4 | Equipment: Green cups, ping pong balls, beer (green optional)

Classic beer pong with festive upgrades:

• Use green Solo cups arranged in a shamrock shape (4-3-3-3 formation)
• Add green food coloring to the beer for full effect
• Bounce shots = 2 cups
• Both partners make it = balls back + opponent takes a shot of Jameson
• Hit the center “stem” cups = automatic re-rack

7. Lucky Charms

Players: 4-10 | Equipment: Bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, drinks

Childhood meets St. Paddy’s Day:

• Each marshmallow shape = a different rule:
• Heart: Choose someone to drink with you
• Star: Make a rule
• Horseshoe: Lucky! Everyone else drinks
• Clover: Waterfall starting with you
• Moon: Take a shot
• Rainbow: Everyone finishes their drink
• Pull a charm, do the action. Pull a cereal piece = just eat it.

8. Find the Gold

Players: 5+ | Equipment: Chocolate gold coins, green fabric, drinks

Hide gold coins around the party area before guests arrive:

• Gold coin = immunity from one drinking challenge
• Finding someone else’s hidden coin = they drink
• Person with most coins at midnight = Leprechaun King (gets to make rules)
• Person with fewest = does an Irish jig while others throw coins

9. Rainbow Shots Roulette

Players: 4-8 | Equipment: 7 different colored shots, spinner or dice

Line up shots in rainbow order (Roy G. Biv):

• Spin the wheel or roll dice to determine which color
• Red = Fireball | Orange = Aperol | Yellow = Limoncello | Green = Midori
• Blue = Blue Curaçao | Indigo = Chambord | Violet = Viniq
• Land on the same color twice = double shot
• Land on gold (pot of gold) = choose someone else to take your shot

10. Shamrock Flip Cup

Players: 6+ (two teams) | Equipment: Green cups, beer

Team relay race with Irish flair:

• Standard flip cup rules with green cups
• Winning team assigns a “Rainbow Challenge” to losers
• Best of 3 rounds to determine champions
• Champions get first pick of the appetizers

🎯 St. Patrick’s Day Dares

Spice up your party with themed dares. Use these with Truth or Dare or just dare people randomly when they least expect it.

Mild Dares (Party Starters)

1. Speak in an Irish accent for the next 10 minutes
2. Do your best Riverdance impression for 30 seconds
3. Text someone “Top o’ the morning to ya!” and don’t explain
4. Wear green face paint for the rest of the night
5. Sing “Danny Boy” (or your best attempt) to a stranger
6. Let someone draw a shamrock on your face with eyeliner
7. Take a photo kissing the host’s elbow (the modern Blarney Stone)
8. Post “I believe in leprechauns” on social media

Medium Dares (Getting Warmed Up)

1. Do 17 jumping jacks while reciting Irish facts (one for each century of St. Patrick’s legacy)
2. Call a bar and ask if they’ve seen any leprechauns tonight
3. Let the group pick your drink for the next round (they will choose green)
4. Take a shot of pickle juice “for luck”
5. Wear your shirt inside out for good luck (actual Irish tradition!)
6. Give a 1-minute toast about Ireland (even if you know nothing)
7. Attempt to pronounce “Sláinte” until you get it right (others judge)
8. Do a dramatic reading of a limerick you make up on the spot

Spicy Dares (No Shame Zone)

1. Kiss whoever is wearing the most green
2. Take a body shot off the nearest willing participant
3. Give someone a “lucky lap dance” for 30 seconds
4. Play the next round of any game with your pants as a leprechaun hat
5. Let someone take an embarrassing video of you doing the Irish jig
6. Tell your most embarrassing hook-up story in an Irish accent
7. Do your best “sexy leprechaun” impression
8. Demonstrate your best “end of the rainbow” pickup line on three people
9. Let the group body-paint a shamrock somewhere hidden

Extreme Dares (Legends Only)

1. Chug a car bomb (Guinness + Baileys + Jameson) — for experienced drinkers only!
2. Go outside and convince a stranger you’re a real leprechaun
3. Get someone’s number using only Irish-themed pickup lines
4. Do the worm across the party floor in full leprechaun costume
5. Let the group decide your next drink combo (be afraid)
6. Recreate the famous “they’re always after me lucky charms” scene

Pro tip: Use Xdares to challenge friends to dares with real stakes — put money on completing that Irish jig in public!

🍺 Games for the Pub

Heading out instead of staying in? These games work great at bars without getting you kicked out (probably).

11. Pub Trivia Drinking Game

When your team gets a question wrong:

• Wrong answer = everyone drinks
• Wrong answer AND last place after a round = shots for the team
• Get an Irish-related question right = other teams drink

12. St. Paddy’s Bingo

Make bingo cards with things you’ll see at the bar:

• “Kiss Me I’m Irish” shirt
• Someone doing a bad Irish accent
• Green beer spillage
• Bagpipes (live or recorded)
• Someone telling you they’re “actually” Irish
• A fight almost breaking out
• Someone passed out before 10 PM
• First person to BINGO picks who buys the next round

13. Green Spotting

Simple but effective:

• See someone not wearing green = point at them and yell “NO GREEN!”
• They have to buy a round OR do a dare
• Works on strangers too (use social judgment)
• If you’re wrong (they ARE wearing green) = you buy the round

14. Irish Slang Challenge

Take turns trying to use Irish slang correctly:

• “That’s grand” = That’s fine
• “Craic” = Fun/good times (“What’s the craic?”)
• “Knackered” = Exhausted
• “Eejit” = Idiot (affectionate)
• “Acting the maggot” = Being foolish
• Use it wrong = drink. Teach someone a new word = they drink.

15. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Race to get photos of:

• Someone wearing a leprechaun beard
• A bartender doing an Irish accent
• Three strangers making a human shamrock
• The oldest person at the bar
• Someone who’s actually been to Ireland
• First team to complete all = losers do a public Irish jig

📜 St. Paddy’s Day Drinking Rules

Establish these rules at the start of your party and enforce them ALL NIGHT:

The Golden Rules

• No using the word “drink” — must say “beverage” or an Irish term. Violation = finish your beverage.
• Pinch the green-less — anyone caught without green gets pinched AND drinks
• Little people — anyone who says “leprechaun” must immediately take a sip
• The toast — every drink must be preceded by “Sláinte!” — skip it and drink double
• Irish exits forbidden — anyone who leaves without saying goodbye finishes their drink AND does a shot upon return
• Accent hour — during designated times, all conversation must be in Irish accents. Breaking character = drink.
• The little green man — must remove imaginary leprechaun from cup before drinking. Forget = start over.

🎉 Party Planning Tips

Drinks to Stock

• Beer: Guinness, Smithwick’s, Harp, green-dyed lager
• Whiskey: Jameson, Bushmills, Tullamore Dew
• Irish Cream: Baileys (for shots and coffee)
• Green options: Midori, crème de menthe, green food coloring
• Non-alcoholic: Green Gatorade, lime soda, mint tea (it’s a marathon)

Essential Supplies

• Green Solo cups (mandatory)
• Shamrock decorations
• Irish flag
• Leprechaun hats (at least one)
• Gold chocolate coins
• Face paint (green)
• Plastic “pot of gold” for coin games
• Playing cards
• Ping pong balls

Music Playlist Must-Haves

• Dropkick Murphys – “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
• The Pogues – “Fairytale of New York”
• Traditional Irish folk (Spotify has great playlists)
• U2 (they count)
• Flogging Molly
• House of Pain – “Jump Around”

Food Ideas

• Corned beef sliders
• Irish soda bread
• Colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage)
• Shepherd’s pie bites
• Green-frosted cupcakes
• Shamrock-shaped cookies

❓ Frequently Asked Questions