Green beer and Irish bars: Why you should celebrate St. Patrick's Day at this longtime Louisville Irish bar

Looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday? You’re in luck as Louisville is home to several celebrations.

Head to ShopBar, 950 Barrett Ave., for green beer, green Jell-O shots and food specials. If you’re in the mood for a bar crawl, check out Shamrocks and Shenanigans, a St. Patrick’s Day party at Fourth Street Live! with participating bars such as The Sports & Social Club, Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, Pizza Bar and PBR.

Craving a green-colored lager brewed locally? Country Boy Brewing, 400 S. 2nd St., will be tapping its Green Super Premium Lager and serving fresh smoked pastrami ruben pizza. Or head to Garage Bar, 700 E. Market St., for goat races and the Block Fest Paddock Party, which kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday.

You could also visit Irish Rover, which bills itself as “Louisville’s Irish Pub,” for its outdoor tent party. Festivities, which include live music, a cash-only beer truck, and plenty of Irish fare (like brown soda bread), run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 2319 Frankfort Ave. There’s a $10 cover charge.

You’ll get a glimpse at why Irish Rover has been around for more than 30 years in the Clifton-Crescent Hill neighborhood, where the cozy restaurant/bar serves Irish brews such as Guinness and Harp Lager on tap. Popular plates include Scotch eggs, smoked salmon, cordon bleu fritters, fish and chips, and cottage pie.

The pub features dark wooden booths for dining and its walls are covered with Irish-themed artwork. Depending on the day, you may hear the sounds of live music near the bar.

We featured Irish Rover in our video series, “Best Thing I Ate This Week,” on Instagram. You can follow along at Instagram.com/courierjournal.

Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at The Irish Rover, Louisville's Irish Pub