Breweries to Seek Out

Discussion in 'United Kingdom & Ireland' started by sliberty, Jun 25, 2016.

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  1. sliberty

    sliberty Devotee (389) Dec 1, 2011 Massachusetts

    My best friend is getting married in Ireland so I I'll be in Ireland for 10 days, based in the the Galway area, but with the ability to travel anywhere on the island. I'm interested in hitting up as many breweries as I can during this time, so I am looking suggestions on for the following:

    1) Great traditional Irish breweries to visit. It's OK if it's macro as long as it's good, but smaller craft places that I can't get in the USA is preferable.

    2) Other more innovative breweries. My cursory research has shown that a lot of the new craft beer in Ireland is very American style, which is fine, but if I'm going to drink familiar tasting micro-brew beer, I want it to be the best I can find!

    3) Great pubs

    4) Distillery tours


    Thanks!
     
    #1 sliberty, Jun 25, 2016
  2. RikkyRicardo

    RikkyRicardo Initiate (0) Apr 21, 2016 Ireland

    1) Breweries here cant sell beer from their premises (for the most part) so wouldn't expect much from that, especially with craft breweries. Kinnegar brewing have a nice gastropub attached afaik, their beers are solid enough. Donegal is a nice place to visit too
    https://kinnegarbrewing.ie/

    2)Best irish breweries in this order imo:

    White Hag in Sligo http://thewhitehag.com/. Got some cool beers like a sour ale brewed with no hops and aged in wine barrels, imperial oatmeal stout and its BA version in highland scottish whiskey barrels, brett ipa

    8 Degrees in Cork (doing a lot of ipas, and single hop beers lately)

    galway bay brewery (they had a nice 8.5% dipa but recipes changed lately, they do a bit of experimenting (some good some poor). They have a chain of bars, mainly in dublin. Might be able to pick up some of their 200 fathoms, a whiskey barrel aged imperial stout, this year wasn't as good though.
    http://galwaybaybrewery.com/bars/

    Mescan in westport, are very small, do belgian style beers, krieks, triples, quads

    Kinnegar, got some kettle sours going lately, a nice rye ipa too.

    That's the best of the lot, others like white gypsy, trouble brewing, porterhouse, dungarvan, o'haras are there too but keep expectations low.

    3) Great pubs

    Loads in dublin, brew dock, against the grain, porterhouse temple bar, p.macs, cassidys
    check above link for galway
    porterhouse have one in cork

    4) Distillery tours

    Teelings Whiskey would be the best by far, its in Dublin. Get their rare "The Revival" whiskey
    Jameson in smithfield, dublin probably good.
    Dingle distillery is probably very good and you would enjoy Dingle too http://dingledistillery.ie/


    Download the beoir app for your phone. I'd probably visit galway, cork, dublin, donegal/belfast. Keep expectations low with irish craft beer. Should be able to get some nice belgian and brewdog beers to take home with you if you want suggestions
     
    #2 RikkyRicardo, Jul 1, 2016
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