Pub Crawl Ahead

As you may be able to gather from my blog name, I am Irish. You would never know it by my drinking habits though. There was a time, in my youth, when I was quite infamous for drinking anyone and everyone under the table, except when it came to tequila. It makes my stomach hurt, so never was my poison of choice. Now I’m the biggest lightweight on the planet, but I still enjoy a good glass of wine or an ice-old beer once in awhile. I also have been known to partake in a little Crown Royal, Jamison’s or a nice glass of scotch on the rocks once in awhile.
Recently, I went out with some coworkers after a long day a work, thinking it would be a great way to bond with the people I spend more time with than anyone else and also because I am the new kid (using that term loosely). The extra incentive is that the location chosen for this little get together is a rather new Irish pub. I just knew it was a sign that I was meant to go!
When I arrived, several of my coworkers were already there and had drinks in front of them., so I decided to stop by the bar and pick up a drink on the way to the table. I asked the bartender if she could make me a Half and Half. I love a good Guinness, but straight on is a bit heavy for me. The bartender assured me she could make me a Half and Half and would send it over to the table. When it arrived, I knew something was wrong, but being amongst new friends, I didn’t want to make a scene, so I drank it.
Later, as the group ordered another round, I asked for another Half and Half. The waitress looked oddly at me and said "You mean an Black and Tan". I assured her that what I meant was a Half and Half, and she just repeated "Yeah, a Black and Tan."
Now for you non-Irish out there, there is a distinct difference, so maybe I should explain. A Half and Half is half Guinness, a dark Irish ale, and half Harps, a lighter Irish ale. A Black and Tan, on the other hand, (which I have also been known to drink when Harps is not available) s half Guinness and half Bass, a lighter English ale. I think a Black and Tan is actually on the list of cardinal sins, given the war that still rages between the English and Irish in some parts of Ireland, but you do what you have to do sometimes.
In any case, I knew that what I was drinking was neither.
Let me state once again that this was supposedly and Irish pub that we were visiting at the time. I walked over to the bartender, a very sweet, personable young thing, and asked her what she had made for me. She said she made a Half and Half. I told her that the waitress called it a Black and Tan. She just looked surprised and said "same thing." I took a deep breath, and then explained to her the history of the two. Then I explained that what she had served me, although not terrible, was not either a Half and Half or a Black and Tan. She said it was their version of a Half and Half/Black and Tan. I took another deep breath, almost to the point of hyperventilation, and asked her what was in it. She said it was half Guinness and half Boulevard Pale Ale. Boulevard Pale Ale is a an ale from a local Kansas City brewery. I thanked her and went back to my group. When the waitress came around again, I passed on another round.
Now to some, this may not be a big deal, but for someone who doesn’t drink all that often, it became, for some odd reason, a big deal for me. I guess I’ll have to head to New York, Chicago, or Ohio. My brother and my nephew seem to have no trouble finding good Irish pubs in Columbus and Toledo. Surely somewhere in a city as large as the Kansas Cit Metro area, someone knows how to make me a proper beer. In the meantime, I guess I’ll have to do research, and that could be an adventure!