This St. Patrick’s Day, Long Beach residents can indulge in a taste of Irish and Mexican history while taking part in one of several festive alcohol-fueled celebrations happening throughout the day.
On Friday, March 17 from 6 p.m. to midnight, local outdoor tiki bar Marie’s Tek Tec, located at the rear end of Roxanne’s (1115 E. Wardlow Rd.), will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day-themed event celebrating the cultural connection between Mexico and Ireland dating back nearly two centuries.
The event will also serve as the soft-opening in the run-up to Marie’s spring reopening for their “second season.” Their first season ran during the summer and fall of 2022.
Along with the St. Patrick’s Day celebration and a Cinco De Mayo event that’s currently in the works, Marie’s grand reopening will include a life-size Olmec head created by Los Angeles-based artist Andy Rios (@loveyodreams on Instagram), and a blessing of the venue from Aztec dancers.
“Marie’s was built around the concept that we need to pay homage to our Latin American roots, dating as far back as Ancient Mesoamerica, and it’s these kinds of stories that we absolutely love giving Chuntikis an opportunity to tell,” Torres said.
Marie’s St. Patrick’s Day soiree will feature all-you-can-eat corned beef tacos and a special cocktail menu crafted by Julio “Jules” Gutierrez, founder of local pop-up bar Chuntikis. Gutierrez was recently named in beverage magazine Imbibe’s list of 75 people and places in the world of drinks to watch for 2023, where he shared his “Ajua’ Fresca” recipe.
All of Gutierrez’s drinks are created around vivid storytelling, with a mini history lesson that accompanies every cocktail. It creates an experience that’s both indulgent and educational with every sip.
When Gutierrez started Chuntikis, it initially served as a takeaway service during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic before they started organizing pop-ups with local bars, beginning with a Cinco De Mayo event held at Roxanne’s in 2021. Since then, there has been a “symbiotic relationship” with Jim Torres, the communications director at Roxanne’s.
For this menu, Gutierrez has crafted four unique cocktails inspired by the San Patricio (St. Patrick’s) Battalion, a unit of immigrants and U.S. Army deserters led by Irishman John Riley that fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War.
Each cocktail will offer a unique story that takes inspiration from Spanish and Gaelic. Gutierrez said he hopes that those who attend will take these “five-minute stories” home with them at the end of the night.
“Everyone comes out and drinks and has a good time and probably drinks more than they should,” Gutierrez said about the holiday. “At least I want them to take some form of education along with whatever green-tinted tongue they might have at the end of the day,” Gutierrez said.
The primary drinks on the menu include “Mamo’s Chocolate (Grandmother’s Chocolate),” described as “Mexican hot chocolate meets Irish coffee,” as well as “La Isla Verde (The Green Island)” a green piña colada-inspired drink featuring Irish whiskey, coconut tequila, Irish cream and green matcha-tinted coconut cream.
There will also be a special charity shot dubbed the “Yankee Slammer,” a pre-Mexican-American War-themed tequila and lime shot dropped into a celery michelada beer. All proceeds from this drink will be going to The World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian food relief to countries struck by disaster.
Though Torres says it’s difficult competing with Irish taverns throwing their own festive St. Patrick’s Day events, he believes their event will not only fit perfectly with the holiday but with the overall theme of Marie’s as well.
One specific example of this cross-cultural history is the origins of Obregón, Mexico, the hometown of Gutierrez’s father. The town’s namesake originates from Álvaro Obregón (originally O’Brien), one of Mexico’s first presidents and one of several Mexican leaders who came from joint Irish-Mexican descent.
“We want to focus on the entirety of Latin America and Latin America is incredibly diverse, not only throughout the entire continent but within regions and within cities,” Torres said.
The St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Marie’s Tek Tec, located at 1115 E Wardlow Rd, will be held on Friday, March 17 from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Tickets to this 21+ event are available for $50 on Eventbrite or at the door on the day of the event. Every ticket includes all-you-can-eat corned beef tacos and a choice between a welcome cocktail or green beer for all guests, as well as the chance to try the specialty cocktails on the menu.
So interested, I can’t wait to hear the story.
thank you for the article