19 MARCH 16-22, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Sláinte! RAISE A GLASS OF GREEN BEER AT THESE SPOTS, INCLUDING COLORADO’S LONGEST-RUNNING IRISH BAR. BY WESTWORD STAFF “I don’t know if Clancy’s could have survived fi fty years outside of Wheat Ridge, because it’s such a special community,” says Jeff Hurlburt. “They embraced this place far before I owned it.” Hurlburt is the general manager and primary owner of Clancy’s Irish Pub, the oldest and longest-running Irish bar in Colo- rado. This year, perhaps with a bit of luck, the establishment is celebrating its golden anniversary. In 1973, founder Bob “Clancy” Murray opened the pub’s original location at 38th and Kipling. He and his family served pints of Guinness and plates of bangers and mash until the late ’90s. Dr. Robert Wood then pur- chased the business, followed by Hurlburt and four associates in 2010. His partners are Steve Zielinski, who was a bartender at Clancy’s, Tony Facinelli, a longtime regular at the pub, Joe DeMott and Aron Martinez. The group carried on traditions until the summer of 2014, when the 1,200-square-foot space set within a small retail complex was sold to redevelopers. But Clancy’s is a bar that refuses to quit, and Hurlburt saw the sale as an opportunity for growth. A year later, Clancy’s reopened in a historic 10,000-square-foot building at 7000 West 38th Avenue. “We knew when reopening that we had to come out swinging hard. We have two executive chefs, and the food is actually our focal point,” says Hurlburt. He explains that Clancy’s has always served Irish-American and English-Amer- ican favorites, but since relocating, it’s trans- formed from a bar with food to more of a restaurant that serves alcohol. On the menu, classics like shepherd’s pie and fi sh and chips appear alongside a variety of burgers, sand- wiches, soups, salads and starters. The draft list is also eclectic and extensive, highlighting local craft breweries and those you’d fi nd on the Emerald Isle. Order the Flight to Dublin for an authentic sampler of Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp with a shot of Jameson. While Clancy’s fi ve bars will be busy on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Hurlburt hopes that the mainstay represents more for Denver’s Irish residents. “I didn’t want it to just be, ‘Hey, come out on St. Patrick’s Day, drink fi fty beers.’ I wanted to be legitimate and heartfelt in interacting with the Irish com- munity year-round,” he says. Acting as a music venue and cultural center, Clancy’s hosts traditional dance and bagpipe performances throughout the year. It also provides opportuni- ties for cultural storytelling, and an annual Celtic festival takes place every August. In that same spirit, Clancy’s will go all out this coming St. Patrick’s Day weekend. From March 17 to 19, its two stages will feature numer- ous musicians, with DJ Abilities of Eyedea & Abilities and Ubi of Ces Cru headlining on Saturday. Additional performers include the Commoners; Venom & Valor; Sabotage, a Beastie Boys tribute band; Hell- grammites; Guerrilla Radio, a Rage Against the Machine tribute; and blues band Delta Sonics. In addition, “We’re bringing in Irish dancers, the bagpipes. We’ve also invited local vendors,” Hurlburt says. “Our goal in obtaining this property was to grow St. Patrick’s Day tenfold and make it a really big event for the community.” — Abigail Bliss Whether you’re in Wheat Ridge or an- other Denver neighborhood, here are ten Irish bars (including Clancy’s) where you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year: The Abbey Tavern 5151 East Colfax Avenue 303-321-5151 theaabbeytaverndenver.com The Abbey hosts traditional Irish music on Sundays and all Liverpool games. There’s a full bar, as well as a whiskey fl ight with four pours, plus Guinness and Smithwick’s on tap. For eats, there’s a traditional Irish breakfast, Irish bread pudding, Guinness chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness BBQ wings, to name just a few options. The Celtic Tavern 1400 Market Street 303-484-1066 theceltictavern.com After closing its original location on Blake Street in 2016, the Celtic made a comeback the next year on Market at a large, open, two-story location where soccer fans regularly fl ock to catch games. Along with a vast whiskey collec- tion and food like its signature fi sh and chips, the Celtic is an offi cial off-track betting facility that offers you the chance to bet on games via its FanDuel Cash at Counter partnership. Clancy’s Irish Pub 7000 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge 720-456-7320 iloveclancys.com The longest-running Irish bar in the state, Clancy’s maintains its well-worn appeal. The bar serves over thirty Irish whiskeys and has Breckenridge Irish Stout, Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s on tap, and you can sate your appetite with options like Irish spring rolls with whiskey mustard sauce, a crock of Irish onion soup made with a Guinness broth, and classic bangers and mash. Dougherty’s Neighborhood Pub 5 East Ellsworth Avenue 303-777-5210 doughertyspub.com You can consider Dougherty’s, which opened in 2007, a semi-Irish pub — one that caters to all. It’s also home to hammerschlagen, a game involving a tree stump, hammer and nails. (It may not be the safest bar game ever devised, but it’s a damn fun one.) The drinks are strong, there are daily happy hour specials, and when the time comes for soak- ing up that fi rewater, Dougherty’s also has an excellent pub kitchen and a nice dining room separated from the bar. The Fainting Goat 846 Broadway 303-945-2323 thefaintinggoatdenver.com The Fainting Goat serves Irish-infl uenced dishes like shepherd’s pie, Reuben sand- wiches and Irish nachos (made with tater tots instead of tortilla chips) alongside bar staples like burgers and wings. There’s plenty to keep you busy, from games and televisions to trivia nights and naughty bingo. The three- story bar also has a heated rooftop patio for year-round enjoyment. Finley’s Pub 375 South Pearl Street 303-282-4790 fi nleysdenver.com Finley’s Pub, which has been open for a de- cade, boasts a large selection of Irish whis- keys as well as bourbons. Its beer offerings include eight brews on tap plus forty rotating bottles highlighting beers from around the world. Irish fare includes Irish nachos built on homemade potato chips, Guinness stew, fi sh and chips with homemade slaw and an Irish Cuban made with corned beef — though the signature item is the Finley Burger, a patty made with short rib and ground chuck. The Irish Rover 54 South Broadway 303-282-4643 theirishroverpub.com The Irish Rover has been a staple in the Baker neighborhood since 2005. Along with Guinness, Mag- ners Irish Cider and Smithwick’s on draft, there are nearly twenty types of Irish whiskey (and a full bar) available for imbibing. The Irish coffee, served hot, is made with Jameson whiskey and topped with whipped cream. Sip one on either of two heated patios alongside a plate of fi sh and chips or shepherd’s pie. The Rover also offers brunch specials, trivia nights and open-mic comedy nights. Nallen’s Irish Pub 1429 Market Street 303-572-0667 Denver’s oldest Irish pub, Nallen’s was opened in 1992 by Ireland natives John and Una Nal- len. Since then, it’s established itself as a center of Irish culture in Denver; it’s where the bi- weekly publication the Celtic Connection got its start. While it doesn’t serve food, Nallen’s has a full bar and cocktail menu that includes a large selection of whiskey and Guinness and Smithwick’s on tap. Happy hour specials are available every day starting at 4 p.m. Scruffy Murphy’s 2030 Larimer Street 303-291-6992 A Ballpark neighborhood mainstay, Scruffy Murphy’s has the old-worldness of an authen- tic Irish pub with its antique stained glass and the dark wood of its back bar and bar top. The weekends can get a little boisterous when there’s live music. It also hosts open-mic comedy every Tuesday and karaoke every Wednesday and Sunday from 9 p.m. to close. The bar has a number of Irish beers and ciders, and the kitchen serves a few pub mainstays like shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash. Sheabeen Irish Pub 2300 South Chambers Road, Aurora 303-696-6131 sheabeenirishpub.com Not only is the Sheabeen, which opened in 1989, a destination for drinking Irish whiskey and downing Irish car bomb shots, it’s also known for its live music. There’s an open stage every Thursday and rotating live music on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8 p.m. The small kitchen serves up a simple menu of burgers, sandwiches and 12-inch pies from Rocky Mountain Pizza. . CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Clancy’s has been in business for fi fty years. DANIELLE LIRETTE
