More than Boxing Day at the Irish Rover: Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas) is coming on January 6.

On December 26, the Irish Rover celebrates Boxing Day.

It's been a few years for us, and we'll probably be in attendance. If you're unfamiliar with my advocacy of all things Irish Rover, then be educated. It's a little piece of Irish territory appended to River City, almost entirely eliminating the shtick expected of the institution of "Irish pub in America" in favor of honesty.

I love the Irish Rover, even as I lament the fact that none of downtown New Albany's new wave of restaurants have honored the occasion of Boxing Day -- even my own. I advocated such at Bank Street Brewhouse during the original kitchen's run, but never found acceptance for the notion.

Black pudding and Guinness at 10:00 a.m.? Sign me up. Meanwhile, the Irish Rover is pioneering yet another wonderful idea, described here.

Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas) – January 6th

Whew…You made Christmas happen for friends and family, and now it’s time for your own celebration! The Irish Rover revives a long-standing tradition of Nollaig nban — or Women’s Christmas — with a party just for you. Live Irish music by female musicians, drink specials, and a special beer made by female brewer Leah Dienes of Apocalypse Brewery!

Check out the Irish Rover's seasonal house beers, brewed for the pub by NABC.

Robin Garr reviews the Irish Rover, a fixture on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville:

Irish Rover takes us to the Emerald Isle

if you want warm and welcoming Irish style in Louisville, you can’t improve on the Irish Rover, the amiable eatery that has become an indelible part of the Frankfort Avenue landscape since 1993.

Precisely, although it bears noting that for several months now, in addition to the requisite Guinness, the Rover has been pouring its own house brand, Celtic Craic. It is an export-style stout, heavier than Guinness but not approaching "imperial" strength, and is being brewed exclusively for the Rover by NABC.

As the weather gets warmer, the Rover will transition from their house stout to a golden lager, also brewed by NABC, which tentatively is to be called The Parting Glass. Expect an Irish-style red ale (name TBA) to follow suit in autumn, after which Celtic Craic will rejoin the lineup for winter.

We've really enjoyed working with Michael and Jason on these beers, so if you follow Robin's advice and stop by the Rover, see if one of them is on tap.

Boxing Day at the Irish Rover, 10:30 a.m. view.

It's a grand Louisville tradition for the day following Christmas Day, and the Rover always does it right.

Taste NABC's QuakerFoot at the Irish Rover, this Sunday (November 13).

QuakerFoot is the latest member of NABC's Footed Stout Series (see below for complete roster), brewed at the NABC R & D Brewery in the approximate range of a BJCP-style 13-C (Oatmeal Stout).

To celebrate the Irish Rover's 18th birthday, numerous draft stouts are being tapped this coming Sunday (November 13) at the pub's Frankfort Avenue location. NABC will debut QuakerFoot at this event, which runs from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

NABC QuakerFoot

Malts: Rahr Pale, Simpsons Roast Barley, US Flaked Oats, Simpsons Crystal Medium, Belgian Special B, Simpsons Chocolate

Hops: US Willamette (mash), US Challenger (all of boil)

ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 26

NABC Footed Stout Series (sorry, not on hand for the Rover's celebration)

ClovenFoot
Belgian sunshine for Monsieur Scratch
NABC’s strain of Belgian yeast from the Ardennes transforms strong, rich Stout into a matter of hoofed provocation.
8.2% abv
30 IBU

ThunderFoot
Ultimate urban renewal
There can be no doubt: ThunderFoot actively renounces the gentle tweak, the mild revision, and the imperceptible hint. ThunderFoot neither seeks to make a plausible case for adaptive reuse, nor can be bothered with the nuances of historical preservation. ThunderFoot puts its elongated foot squarely down, advocating your palate’s restructuring the old-fashioned way – whole cloth, entire, complete, irresistible, certain and inevitable.
12% abv
90 IBU

WeeFoot
Feed the beast
A dry and sessionable Stout. On those days when you only need a little stout, WeeFoot is there.
5% abv
48 IBU

Rover & Mild, tomorrow night.

I'll be at the Irish Rover (2319 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville) on Tuesday night, December 8, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Scotch eggs may be consumed, but the real reason I'm going is to celebrate the presence of NABC's Community Dark on the Rover draft lineup. We're calling the occasion, "Community Dark: A History of Mild," and in addition to our version of dark-colored, light-bodied session ale, John Campbell with have growlers of Bob's Old 15-B and WeeFoot Stout as evidence of the range of other, similarly dark English- and Irish-influenced libations.

Come out to the Rover tomorrow night for a few jars and some beer talk.

NABC beers on tap in Louisville ... now.

John Campbell, NABC's brand manager, spent the day visiting our first four on-premise accounts. Read John's report at Facebook:

New Albanian Brewing Co. in Louisville

Photos from Boxing Day at the Irish Rover.

Excellent breakfast, including black pudding ... and Guinness.

There was music and a festive ambience on the day after Christmas.

Jon illustrates a story as the pints look on.

Tim, Jeff and Graham.

Jeff and the introductory smoked salmon.

Only one of those pints belongs to Graham.

Not "shaping up" for a Boxing Day indulgence.

I'm off to the Irish Rover (Frankfort Avenue, Louisville) for the pub's annual Boxing Day celebration, followed by a few hours at work and then a journey to Charlestown Pizza Company for dinner and beers with the missus and good friends Jerry and Barb. Yesterday we managed to be shoehorned into the Vietnam Kitchen for a fabulous meal of pho with seafood, accompanied by IPA and Brown Ale.

No, the diet isn't going well ...

Friday, December 26 - Boxing Day (from the Rover's web site)

Keep the party going, but get out of the house. Visit the Irish Rover or Irish Rover, Too for a traditional Irish Breakfast and trad music. 10 am - 2 pm. Call for reservations or details.

Temptations on Frankfort Avenue and in Madison, Indiana.

It’s damned hard to be seated an arm’s length away from a pint of good ale and be listening to classic Irish music without immediately abandoning the day’s well-intentioned plans in favor of a lengthy, and often moveable, session.

This has happened to me twice in the past week, and both times I was somehow able to pull back from the brink and becoming submerged beneath a self-imposed fog of “craic.”

The first challenge came at the Irish Rover during lunch on Wednesday. The original Dubliners were on the CD player when my friend Roz and I entered. Matt Gould’s Cumberland Brews Cream Ale was pouring, and the fish cakes were suitably aquatic, although the huge mound of potatoes was left intact in favor of another pint. We stopped there and went to our respective homes to sort through bags of goodies from Lotsa Pasta. The decision to depart wasn’t an easy one, but discretion outranks spoiled refrigerator case chorizo on most steamy Ohio Valley afternoons.

Last night was the second hurdle, with Mrs. Curmudgeon accompanying me to Madison, Indiana, for two Friday family reunion events separated by three hours of down time, which we chose to spend at the Thomas Family Winery. The music greeted us just before Steve did:

From Bantry Bay up to Derry QuayAnd from Galway to Dublin townNo maid I've seen like the sweet colleenThat I met in the County Down.

A two-glass wine interlude followed, punctuated by conversation with a few of the regulars and a delectable sample of Greek-style barbecued lamb. Too soon thereafter it came time to make the short hop to Clifty Falls and the next activity, so I purchased a bottle of Pinot Grigio to take to the family’s “happy hour,” where it was quickly devoured.

There was no music at the gathering. Had there been, I’d have wanted to stay longer.

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Unfortunately, there is bad news for beer lovers in the lovely but underserved city of Madison. McQuiston’s Malthouse has closed, and the fine restored building is for sale.