10 St. Patrick's Day Beers as Irish as Guinness

DUBLIN -- (MainStreet) -- No, everybody isn't Irish on St. Patrick's Day, and neither is their beer.

St. Patrick's Day continues to walk the fine line between religious holiday, celebration of Irish heritage and reason for everyone else who isn't associated with either the church or Ireland to buy or sell beer. Last March, U.S. brewers alone produced nearly 17.7 million barrels of beer just to meet demand, according to the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. That was the most beer brewed in March since 2006.

But is any beer really "Irish?" George Killian's Irish Red has "Irish" right there in the name, but it has little to do with the Irish red ale George Killian produced in Ireland from 1864 to 1956. After Killian's brewery closed, his brand name was passed on to a French brewery and, eventually, to the folks at Coors. It's now part of the Molson Coors(TAP) empire and doesn't brew a drop on Irish soil.