Irish party bar The Dublin Drop to debut this winter in downtown St. Pete

View fullsize

The Dublin drop will debut later this year at 129 1st avenue north in downtown st. pete | st. pete rising

The team behind a handful of popular downtown bars including One Night Stand, Pour Judgement, and Whiskey Exchange will open a new Irish-themed party bar called The Dublin Drop in downtown St. Pete.

The bar, which is expected to open by the end of the year, will occupy 3,000 square feet at 129 1st Avenue North in a space connected to There Goes The Neighborhood, another upcoming bar set to debut this winter by the Drink St. Pete hospitality group.

Although The Dublin Drop will serve Irish whiskies and beer, owner Michael Jennings wouldn’t consider it an authentic Irish bar.

“It’s a party bar,” said Jennings. “We won’t have Irish food or play Irish music. It’ll be more along the lines of Irish Kevin’s in Key West.”

The main 20-seat bar will have five Guinness stations to ensure there is never a long wait for the popular Irish stout. Another small bar will provide relief during peak hours.

A small stage will host DJs and live music of all genres on the weekends.

Jennings is working with Guinness, Tullamore Dew, and The Vitale Bros on a mural for the interior walls of the bar.

The drink menu will feature multiple variations on the Irish car bomb, also known as a Dublin drop, which is traditionally made by dropping a shot of Baileys Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey into a half pint of Guinness.

Despite the name, the Irish car bomb cocktail didn’t originate in Ireland. In fact, you won’t find the drink anywhere in the Emerald Isle. At least not by that name.

The cocktail’s name is offensive as it refers to a long period of violence in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. And so, the drink is more commonly referred to as the Dublin drop in Ireland.

Around 15-20 varieties of the Dublin drop will be offered, such as the PB&J Drop, which contains Guinness, Screwball, Chambord, and Baileys. The Drip Drop is Guinness, Bailey’s Espresso Crème, and Jameson Café and The Banana Drop is Guinness, Howler Head Banana Whiskey, and Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Additionally, around 15-20 Irish whiskies will be available as well as a selection of Irish beer, such as Harp, Smithwicks, Murphys, and of course Guinness.

“We want to keep it affordable for people,” said Jennings. “Everything will be reasonably priced.”

The Dublin Drop is expected to open by the end of the year.