Beer in Ireland

I have been all over the republic (where ever the buses can go) twice. I went to see Ireland and if I ran into good beer that was a plus. Both times I drank twice my weight in Gunniess and could've had more. The second time I found more craft than the first time. We found Dingle Brewing Company and stopped in there. Metalman Brewing has an awesome Pale. I had a Dungarvan Cooper Ale that was good. I was surprised at Smithwicks Pale. I had that more than once. Hooker Pale was decent.
We hit 27 pubs the first time and about 35 the second time. We took a day trip up to Belfast and I was able to get a couple pints of some cask beers in the Crown Bar. Awesome Place. The owner of Sky and the Ground Pub in Wexford chated us up and asked for recommendations for American beer to bring into his pub. That was cool. The best place I have been in the world is Ireland.

 

"the Guinness and Heineken pints taste different in Ireland than in the US and are significantly better IMO."

I've traveled around Ireland for four weeks and found the Guinness to be exactly the same as it is here. That's the oldest and most repeated beer myth there is.The nitro-dispense insures a bland uniformity that I tired of pretty quickly. Guinness is really big on quality control, or, at least, maintaining the same characteristics wherever it's served. Guinness comes in a sealed keg and is pretty immune to deterioration as long as it's properly stored, which the company insists on. Can't speak for Heinekin because I don't drink it anywhere. The Irish beer scene has come a long way over the last 10 years, but it's still a shadow of that in Britain.

 

The old Guinness tastes better at source arguement - older than the hills !

Ireland has come a long way over the last 5 or so years in terms of good beer but it still wouldn't make it into the top 10 beer countries to visit in Europe if your holiday was beer themed.

 

[quote="MADhombrewer, post: 1478909, member: 225140 "The best place I have been in the world is Ireland."

You obviously haven't been to Scotland.

 

LOL. So I hear. That is next.

 

I'm waiting in Rochester, NY for a delayed connecting flight to Philadelphia, then on to Scotland for my tenth visit since 1995. Tuesday evening I'll be enjoying cask ales at The Three Judges in Glasgow's west end. One of the best pubs going. Nine hand pumps and all ales well tended.

 

Nice. I am having my first kid in a month so I may I may never make it but, never say never... Have a safe trip.

 

I'm headed to Cork, Ireland for six months in August. Any suggestions on places I need to travel to or beers I must have while I'm there? I'll be traveling around a fair bit so chances are I'll happen upon the places you suggest.

 

I haven't been to these places but give them a google and see if they look worthy of a stop.

Franciscan Well Brewery, Cork City

Eight Degrees Brewing, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork

http://www.thebierhauscork.com/

Check this website out as well. http://www.beoir.org/

 

If I were to visit Ireland, I would have been all over the freshest possible O'Hara's brews. I'm a big fan of that brewery.

 

Well, here we are on the 18th and the weather is still about 27C and mostly sunny.

 

Only 27? I'm mellltiiing.

 

That's the peak temp today and for the next 5 days. But my car registered 34C at lunch.

 

Beamish is the best beer you'll find County Cork, and probably all of Ireland, its excellent, especially on tap:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/358/927

Definitely head to Kinsale, 30 minutes from Cork City. Beautiful port town and the "culinary capital" of Ireland, great seafood, and Beamish on tap everywhere.

 

And when did you last visit Ireland and if the answer is recently, perhaps you didn't search well enough for good beer ?

There are 27 other beers in the RB top 50 of Irish beers above Beamish!

Other opinions and personal tastes are available but Beamish numero uno - really !

 

And it's nitro-dispensed too - - maybe a bit better than Guinness, but still a bland nitro stout. It's good to see the Irish are finally doing making some decent craft beers, but they've got a tough road ahead competing with the entrenched nitro stouts.