The Mug of Brown Ale

Traditional Irish Jig, A Dorian
TrailJams Tune of the Week for September 2, 2021; January 8, 2023

A popular session tune and a popular session beverage.

Recordings

• Audio – Comhaltas: Mug of Brown Ale Set – Mug of Brown Ale / Leg of the Duck / Munster Buttermilk. From the album Foinn Seisiun 3
• Audio – Fintan Vallely: The Jug of Brown Ale, An Port Ard, from the album from Traditional Irish Flute Music
• Audio – Stephen Ducke (Tradschool): The Mug of Brown Ale (Jig), played on tin whistle. From the book Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes

Sheet Music

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Munster Buttermilk Jig Set: Munster Buttermilk (G) / The Mug of Brown Ale (A Dorian) / The Connaughtman’s Rambles (D)
• Connaughtman’s Rambles (D) / Mug of Brown Ale (A Dorian)  / Kesh Jig (G)
• Out on the Ocean (G) / Mug of Brown Ale (A Dorian)
• Mug of Brown Ale / Leg of the Duck / Munster Buttermilk

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.

• More Recordings
  • Audio – Album: A Portland Play Along Selection, Betsy Branch, Clyde Curley, and Susan Songer
  • Video – Lucy Riddett: [Accordion] Irish Double Jigs-The Clare Jig/The Mug of Brown Ale/Scatter the Mud/The Lilting Banshee (The Mug of Brown Ale begins at time 0:40 in this recording.)
  • Video – Paul Young: Irish accordion jigs – Out On The Ocean / Mug Of Brown Ale – played on button accordion
  • Video – Hooley: The Connaughtman’s Rambles/The Mug Of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman from the album Hooley: Cuts from the Turf
  • Video – Shane Farrell: Mug of Brown Ale Jig. Irish Tenor Banjo Music – played on tenor banjo
  • Video – Dulahan Ireland (Joe Greene): The Mug Of Brown Ale Jig – played on tenor banjo
• Books
  • Book – Comhaltas: Foinn Seisiún, Volume 3 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
  • Book – The Portland Collection, Volume 1, by Susan Songer with Clyde Curley
  • Book – Stephen Ducke: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
• Other Resources
  • Article: Jonathan Lay (TrailJams): Dorian, Mixolydian, Oh My: Modes in a Nutshell – a friendly and brief explanation of musical modes.
  • Webpage – The Session: The Mug of Brown Ale (Jig) – crowdsourced sheet music and other information
  • Webpage – Vashon Celtic Tunes: Mug of Brown Ale