Tóg Go Bog É this St. Patrick’s Day—It means "take it easy this St. Patrick’s Day" and where better to take it oh so easy than Spearfish’s own Flanagan’s Irish Pub?
Flanagan’s is located in Downtown Spearfish on 7th street. The name Flanagan’s comes from Brandon Flanagan, the owner of the pub and lifelong resident of the Northern Hills, and "Flanagan" is a common last name in Ireland. When asking Brandon where his inspiration of the unique pub came from, he mentioned that he was a bartender for a while before starting his own business. He bartended at Terry Peak and really enjoyed it. Brandon then became friends with the owner of the former English Pub in Spearfish where Flanagan’s sits now. He then started learning how to play Irish music and things just sort of fell into place and Flanagan’s Irish Pub officially opened on March 15th, 2007.
Flanagan’s Irish Pub is meant to be your third space. You have a home, a work place, and your next go-to is Flanagan’s. It is a comfortable, home-y place where you can find oasis. One of the most unique parts about the environment and why it feels like a home away from home is because the Spearfish community has made this pub completely their own and Brandon really makes that possible.
One of the iconic aspects of the pub is how visitors will leave dollar bills and foreign bills with messages on them. Each bar and pub have a specific, unique environment and Flanagan’s Irish Pub is just that. So, to get a clear picture of what this means, make sure you go and check it out on the iconic day that is St. Patrick’s Day.
Diving deeper into what a typical day looks like at the pub, Brandon says it’s basically hanging out with friends. Through his business, he has been able to make friendships and relationships throughout the community. To keep this community, it is important to listen to what they want as far as drinks at the pub. The common favorite drink of choice is, of course, a Guinness. Flanagan’s has 16 tabs open that not only include Guinness, but also there are samples of craft beer from the three local breweries in town and a selection of liquor. Flanagan’s also has its own merchandise. Be sure to check out the apparel as they just got all new T-shirts and sweatshirts in.
What else makes Flanagan’s stand out:
- They serve all of their drinks in glassware. There is a mug system in which you can purchase a mug, put your name on it and drink out of your own personal Flanagan’s mug whenever you want.
- They have endless card and board games
- On Monday’s there is open mic night.
- There is Trivia every Thursday.
- There is live music on weekends
- And on Sundays, they watch movies and during the summer on Tuesday’s they utilize the fire pit.
The Perfect Pour
After learning what makes Flanagan’s special, I asked Brandon if he would be willing to show me how to pour the perfect Guinness beer. After all, he is certified by the Diago, Ireland Head of Storehouse to pour the perfect pint. It takes exactly 119 seconds to pour the perfect Guinness.
Step 1: Choose the Perfect Glass
You should have a dry 20-ounce, tulip shaped pint glass.
Step 2: The Tilt
You should tilt the glass away from you at a 45-degree angle. This allows the nitrogen bubbles to move down the side of the glass to give it that one-of-a-kind, creamy flavor.
Step 3: The Settle
Fill the pint glass halfway up and then set it down until you are able to see the distinction between the body and the creamy white head.
Step 4: Top it off
Once it is settled, begin to pour a little slower. Aim directly into the middle of the foam until it settles just a touch above the lip of the pint glass. Then finally, take your beer and enjoy the delicious, perfectly poured Guinness beer.
