DESTINATION IRELAND AUTUMN AUTUMN / WINTER 22 21 30
Taste & Tour The Top
Beer & Breweries of Ireland
Everybody knows a pint of Guinness always tastes better in Ireland – but beyond the famous black stuff there is so much more to explore for this year ’ s International Beer Day .
The global celebration of beer on 5 August is the perfect excuse to go on a beer journey around the array of mainstream breweries , microbreweries and brewpubs dotted across the island of Ireland .
On the Wild Atlantic Way , the Galway Bay Brewery has been reviving age-old brewing techniques to produce beers full of body and flavour . Their Full Sail IPA , the Galway Bay red ale and a chocolate milk stout called Buried at Sea are favourites among the Irish beer community . This brewery also operates a number of craft beer pubs across the island , including The Dew Drop Inn in Galway , The Gasworks in Dublin and Northern Lights in Belfast .
While Guinness , Murphy ’ s , Smithwick ’ s , Beamish and the like remain big names within the Irish brewing industry , there is also a superb independent craft beer scene with over 170 active breweries on the island – many offering tours and tastings .
Beer Tasting at Dead Centre Brewing
For those exploring Ireland ’ s Hidden Heartlands , there are a number of breweries to discover , including the Dead Centre Brewing in Athlone , County Westmeath , which has installed a beautiful copper clad brewery in its brewpub right on the banks of the River Shannon .
Franciscan Well Brewery
Among the many talented beer makers brewing up a storm in Ireland is the Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork , built on the site of a thirteenth-century monastery . Its World Beer Award-winning brews are sold across the island , so look out for Rebel Red , Friar Weisse , Chieftain IPA and Shandon Stout . Or best of all , head straight to the Franciscan Well Brewpub in Cork city and settle in for a session .
Northern Ireland ’ s craft beers are delightful , with great names rooted in the place they come from . For instance , the community-owned cooperative on the famous Causeway Coast Route , Lacada Brewery Ltd , produces East the Beast ( a local surfer ’ s wave ), Dunluce Juice named for the historic Dunluce Castle and Rathlin Gold after Rathlin Island , which lies off the north coast .
If you like the sound of a beer masterclass , head to the Walled City Brewery in Derry ~ Londonderry . Talented brewers will tell you the