Can You Hear it Already—Irish Cheer in Eagle Rock?

Eagle Rock may not have a Celt-centric bar, but this St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll definitely find the luck of the Irish at the —the English-inspired pub is gearing up for Gaelic revelry and then some.

For one thing, there will be more to drink—and more than the usual hours of drinking—at the porcine-named pub, which has laid in extra supplies of Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey and will open at 3 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

This is bartender Teresa’s first St. Patrick’s Day at the Black Boar and she laughingly admits that she’s “kind of scared.” After all, there’s no easy trade-off when it comes to observing the day on which Ireland’s patron saint died. “I’ll make good money,” quips Teresa. “But I’ll also be dead [tired]!”

Teresa is one of the Black Boar’s famously fun and friendly bartenders, a prime draw of the pub on St. Paddy’s Day—and every day. The staff clearly takes their cue from manager Jason Gherkin; when at the bar, he’s seemingly everywhere at once: pouring tasting shots for patrons and chatting knowledgeably about the bar’s thoughtfully curated selection of eight draught beers.

Gherkin has even inspired one of the Black Boar’s signature drinks, the “Cranky Pickle.” Teresa is happy to demonstrate both the cocktail’s preparation and its consumption. Under the glare of the massive, mounted, tusked black boar’s head, sporting a giant leprechaun hat and draped in green beads and shamrocks, Teresa pours citrus Vodka, Red Bull, lime and cranberry into a pint glass of ice, shakes it up, sticks in two straws, and then drinks the shot’s worth of liquor down in one go. “The brain freeze is worse than the alcohol,” she cautions.

The Boar also has a $4 “Shot of the Day,” advertised on the blackboard, which warns patrons, “Don’t ask—just drink.” When questioned about the content, Teresa will only say that the mixed shot is “on the fruity side but still strong.” A small sip of the potable reveals that it is, indeed, potent.

The backbone of the bar is the comprehensive list of draught beers ($5-$9), which includes nitro pub ale Old Speckled Hen (“… named after a car. Look it up,” advises the bar menu cheekily), Allagash Curieux (“Bourbon barrel aged, Belgian triple” with an astonishing 11 percent alcohol content) and—a Gherkin favorite—the sure-to-be-popular-on-St.-Paddy’s-Day O’Hara’s Irish Stout. (“It’s Guinness with a Magnum P.I. mustache … not sure what that means,” admits the honest-to-a-fault bar menu.) Additionally, there's an impressive list of 23 bottled beers ($5-$14), such as the Rugbrod, a Dark Rye Ale from the Breury in Orange County—the 750ml bottle is big enough to share (but then again, maybe not on March 17).

The impressive list of special spirits—two pages worth—features 46 bourbons ($7—$20), including a 20-year Pappy Van Winkle, and the well-known 100 proof Rittenhouse and Whistlepig ryes. In addition to Tullamore, the list of 10 Irish whiskeys includes an 18-year Jameson and a Tyrconnell Single Malt. 

Enthusiasts of Scottish whiskey can look forward to two distillers editions and three “cask strength” single malts. (The latter tend to be pricier, older, usually undiluted whiskeys produced for the upper premium market.) The #6 special—a Pabst Blue Ribbon with a shot of Tullamore Dew for $6–gets patrons in the St. Paddy’s Day mood fast. (Editor’s cautionary note: The Druids would probably disapprove of beer and whiskey drunk together—the combination isn’t for everyone and even the well-initiated ought not to have more than a few.)

Regular scheduled DJs spin everything from punk to Sixties grooves while Sixties, Seventies and Eighties tunes dominate the jukebox. A fireplace warms patrons in the wooden booths and a dart board tucked in an alcove near the entrance adds to the rustic pub ambience, which has been liberally and enthusiastically decorated in the green of the holiday.

Bartender Teresa won’t be sporting shamrocks behind the bar on St. Patrick’s Day but she isn’t depending on Irish luck either. “If anybody pinches me,” she laughs, “they won’t get a drink!” (Evidently, not even a PBR+whiskey.)