Craft beer in Ireland

Guinness Factory, lol.

 

http://www.beoir.org/

 

Element, your post made me officially join so that I could respond and try and share my experience with a fellow beer lover. It's been about 6 years since I went to Dublin after graduating college and my pallet and understanding of craft beer was far from where I am today but I will say I remember vividly the time we spent in the Porterhouse. It would definitely be a must go for my next trip to Dublin as it was the best beer I had on the trip, (granted that's next to drinking Tennent at the hostel house haha)

The Guinness factory is unlike any tour I've ever been on. Very touristy and more of a museum of past marketing posters than a learn how they make the black stuff. But for a young guy out of college mid way thru the tour they have a sampling room that you can linger in and basically get unlimited glasses. The real treasure though is probably at the end of the tour where you end up at the top of the tallest building in Dublin with a 360 degree view of the city you cant get elsewhere and the freshest Guinness you've ever had.

Enjoy your trip!
Slainte

 

There is a growing craft beer scene in Ireland. Be sure to check out The Drink Store in Dublin (www.drinkstore.ie); they have the best local offerings and a pulse on what's happening in the Irish craft brew world (they also sometimes carry some Cantillon and other sought after selections). In particular, one of my favorites is the White Gypsy Brewing company. I would also suggest Porterhouse, Galway Bay, O'Hara's, Trouble, and Eight Degrees among others. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is still in is still in its infancy in terms of craft brew, but I was pleasantly surprised when I really searched out good beer during my stay.

 

You seriously wouldn't go if you were over there? I know we love to hate on big beer companies but I'd go in a second.

 

Hi Element, you couldn't be coming to ireland at a better time to sample a craft brewing revolution in its infancy. There are now in excess of 20 micros in Ireland, double what there was two years ago, with another 8 or so slated to begin production this year, including my own, BlackDonkeyBeer.com.

The best places to sample Irish craft are in the big cities, Dublin, Cork and Galway but their reach is starting to spread nationwide. A lot of the breweries will welcome interested and enthusiastic visitors if called in advance, although there are very few tasting rooms at Irish breweries, it's a legal thing. Download the Beoir Finder app for a dynamic listing of who serves what nationwide, and follow Pouring In Dublin on Twitter for up to the minute of who's serving what in Dublin. Beoir.org is also good place for information on Ireland's craft scene.

Even though they are the very definition of an industrial brewer, the Guinness tour is a good one, although not so much for a beer geek, more just from a general tourist perspective, apparently the Jameson Distillery tour, also in Dublin, is too, although I've never been.

Hope you have a great time when you're here

 

Did you get lost on the way to the UK Weekend Beerage Bevis?

 

But not Belfast huh? Thats sectarian!

Just joking....

 

It is in need of an update, but you can check out www.DublinBeerGuide.com for some place I like to visit when I'm in town...

 

I'm headed to Ireland in a couple days. Dublin is our first stop (staying there two nights). Looks like the Drink Store will be a good place to big pick up beer for the rest of our vacation. Any other "must dos" while we're there? Obviously we're doing the touristy Guinness and Jameson tours (neither of which do I drink, but when in Ireland...).