America's indigenous breweries produce more than their share of Irish-style beers, and in at least one instance, partaking of a glass or two can mean doing some good in the world. Finnegans Irish Amber may not be as full-bodied and complex as some true Irish ales, but profits from its sales go to community-outreach projects for the working poor and homeless of Minnesota. Even if you can't buy the beer (sold only in its home state), you can still donate to the Finnegans Community Fund or help out by buying a T-shirt or hat through Finnegans' Web site.

On a less altruistic front, Boston's Harpoon Brewery pays homage to that city's Irish population with its malt-accented Hibernian Ale. The regional brewery's significantly larger neighbor, the Boston Beer Company, makes the nationally available Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale.

Down in the Southeast, Arkansas residents enjoy the more moderately malty Irish Red from Diamond Bear Brewing, while Midwesterners seem to prefer a drier, more hoppy take on the style, typified by Kilgubbin Red Ale (from Chicago's Goose Island Brewing) and the toasty Irish Ale (from Kansas City's Boulevard Brewing). The latter is a seasonal beer hoarded annually by loyalists. Further west, Denver's Great Divide Brewing flies the black-beer banner with its widely acclaimed Saint Bridget's Porter.

Pairing beer and food
Traditional Irish cuisine is rustic and especially delicious when you use quality ingredients and the right ales to complement the hearty dishes. Some of the best salmon in the world is fished off the Irish coast and gently smoked in the south. As an appetizer, it partners beautifully with a glass of cool, though not cold, dry Irish stout. Traditional potato-based side dishes like cabbage-rich colcannon or the savory griddle bread known as boxty provide a fine excuse to break out a bottle or two of gently sweet, caramelly Irish red ale, especially if served alongside a roast leg of lamb. A hearty Irish stew would benefit from the popular half-and-half mixture of ale and stout known as Black and Tan. When it comes to dessert, don't forget that sweeter stouts will beautifully complement chocolate cakes (such as Chocolate Stout Cake) or Chocolate Mousse.

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