Saint or sinner? Between bursts of sunshine and heavy squalls, a vast majority of the Emerald Isle will be thronging to the pubs and raising the roof on March 17 to toast their patron saint.

However, if you don’t have the Irish roots to join in the Gaelic fun, why not give St Paddy’s Day the green light at home with some delicious wine and food matches, and of course, the beloved black stuff!

With more than five million pints of Guinness sold in the UK each year to mark the occasion, picking up a four-pack of cans (Guinness Draught, £4.99, supermarkets nationwide) is essential to this mid-week party, along with a bottle of Champagne if you fancy a “50/50”.

Black Velvet Cocktail

½ flute of Champagne

½ flute of Guinness

Pour the Champagne into a flute, and when the bubbles have rested, tilt the glass and top up with Guinness... genius.

The Jameson Irish Mule

For revellers thirsty for something with a little more kick, this whisky cocktail could have friends tapping their feet to the Riverdance.

Jameson Irish whiskey (£17.56, 70cl) has launched a limited-edition silver bottle, embellished with a shamrock.

50ml Jameson Irish whiskey

17.5ml fresh lime juice

200ml ginger beer

17.5ml angostura bitters

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the Jameson, lime juice and angostura bitters, and top with ginger beer. Stir and serve with a lime wedge garnish.

To complement the welcoming manner of the Irish and their love of simple, tasty nosh, try this food-friendly Riesling from Washington State, USA.

One glass of Snoqualmie Picture Series Riesling 2008 (£8.69, winegod.co.uk) will transform a plate of corned beef and cabbage into a culinary delight.

If you love a smouldering peaty nose, try Connemara Peated Single Malt (£25, 70cl, Waitrose) which is honey sweet with vanilla oak notes. Or, try Tyrconnell Single Malt (£26.50, 70cl, Oddbins) which won Gold Best in Class at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2009. Their best-selling whiskey has a wonderful nose of honeysuckle with a citrus tang, and a superb long finish.

Slainte!

BEST BUYS

Luck of the Irish... they even have the first cream liqueur to be awarded the World’s Best Liqueur and a Double Gold at the World Spirit Competition 2009.

Quite the most delectable drop I’ve tried in a long time, Coole Swan Premium Irish Cream Liqueur (£21.99, 70cl, Selfridges nationwide and good wine merchants) uses fresh cream from the country’s richest dairylands, blended with single malt Irish whiskey, bittersweet cocoa and infusions of Madagascan vanilla.

Complex and velvety-smooth, this slow-sipper should be served ice-cold in a frozen glass.