An Irishman moves into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walks into the pub and promptly orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone. An hour later, the man has finished the three beers and orders three more. The next evening the man again orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times. Soon the entire town is whispering about the Man Who Orders Three Beers.
Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town, saying, “I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order three beers?”
“‘Tis odd, isn't it?” the man replies, “You see, I have two brothers: one moved to America, the other to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond.” The whole town was pleased with this answer, and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet.
Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. He continues to order only two beers for the rest of the evening. The word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender says to the man, “Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know, the two beers and all…”
The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, “You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, myself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent.”