If you’re a fan of Irish craft beers, then there is one book to add to your essential reads.
Sláinte – The Complete Guide to Irish Craft Beer and Cider is a fascinating read, compiled by two excellent food and beverage writers: Caroline Hennessy and Kristin Jensen.
I love the foreword by Darina Allen where she says that from 2007, “microbreweries started to bubble up around the country”. The drinks metaphor is highly apt and what started as a niche industry has grown into a full-scale pint of delicious hops and malty flavours.
That’s why, as friends gather around for the final matches of the Six Nations, we’ve opted for a beer and food tasting this month, rather than our traditional wine pairing. And as many will also be toasting for St Patrick’s Day, we’ve kept everything Irish.
Limeburner, Kinnegar Brewing
Letterkenny, Co Donegal
€3-€3.30
Let’s get the party started with a good pale ale and Kinnegar, a brewery based in Letterkenny in Co Donegal set the bar high with its Limeburner. This is perfect for the beer lover who enjoys the smoothness of crisp beer but doesn’t want to be bogged down in barley. Deliciously light and refreshing, it has a floral flavour and satisfying hoppy finish which gives it a little oomph and ensures it is far from boring and bland. This style is easy to drink – even without food – but it’s got enough backbone to pair well with the sausage rolls and hot dogs.
Westport Blond, Mescan Brewery
Westport, Co Mayo
€3-€3.45
One of the most rural breweries in the country, Mescan Brewery rests at the foot of Croagh Patrick and is run by two former vets who have a love for Belgian beer with an Irish twist. Stepping things up a notch in terms of flavour, we’ve opted for the Westport Blond, a flavoursome golden ale which is really well balanced. The freshness comes from floral notes along with a little apple and pear which complements the malt flavours. It’s very easy to drink and is crisp and clean on the palate, making it the perfect beer to wash down the savoury notes of the hot dog and crispy onion rings, and it brings a nice coolness when enjoyed with the buffalo wings.
Newtown Mount Kennedy, Co Wicklow
€3
Red ale and pork were made to be married making the Wicklow Wolf Wildfire a perfect partner to Neven’s sausage rolls, especially if you have a little sweet relish on the side. That’s because the sweetness in the red ale brings out the sweetness in the pork and Wildfire has a deliciously sweet malty base of caramel and chocolate. However, this touch of sweetness also works well with spice which means it is going to be a refreshing finish to the spicy, earthy flavours of the Sloppy Joes, opening up the flavours while simultaneously cleaning the palate. Wicklow Wolf opened a state-of-the-art brewery in Newtown Mount Kennedy in Wicklow in 2019 and now are back doing tours.
Knockmealdown Irish Stout, Eight Degrees Brewing
Mitchelstown, Co Cork
€3
Between Murphy’s and Beamish, Cork is famous for its stout and Eight Degrees Brewing in Mitchelstown took this county claim very seriously when it developed its Knockmealdown Irish Stout. For all you coffee lovers, this one is bound to grab your attention as the deliciously distinctive notes of espresso and chocolate draw you into a stout where those bean flavours develop, complemented by a little caramel sweetness complete with a dry finish. This full-flavoured beer with its roast barley bitterness and touch of sweet works well with the spicy flavours of the Sloppy Joes and watch it give a whole new dimension to the buffalo wings, especially with the sharp saltiness of the blue cheese dip.
Foxes Rock, Pearse Lyons Brewery
Dundalk, Co Louth
€2
One of the real breakthroughs in the beer world in recent years has been the boom in non-alcoholic beer. With drink driving laws, it means you can have a bottle without worrying and avoid the dreaded hangover. Foxes Rock is part of the Pearse Lyons Brewery in Dundalk and as soon as you pour it, the dark gold colour excites you, proving this isn’t just another watery non-alcoholic beer. Instead, it’s got a strong malty character and a touch of sweetness as caramel notes warm your taste buds, topped with a pop of citrus. It is worth noting, however, unlike the big brands which promote 0% alcohol, you will find that a lot of the craft beers contain about 0.5% alcohol, this beer included.
Read more
The perfect pairing
Wine: sweet wines and spice
If you’re a fan of Irish craft beers, then there is one book to add to your essential reads.
Sláinte – The Complete Guide to Irish Craft Beer and Cider is a fascinating read, compiled by two excellent food and beverage writers: Caroline Hennessy and Kristin Jensen.
I love the foreword by Darina Allen where she says that from 2007, “microbreweries started to bubble up around the country”. The drinks metaphor is highly apt and what started as a niche industry has grown into a full-scale pint of delicious hops and malty flavours.
That’s why, as friends gather around for the final matches of the Six Nations, we’ve opted for a beer and food tasting this month, rather than our traditional wine pairing. And as many will also be toasting for St Patrick’s Day, we’ve kept everything Irish.
Limeburner, Kinnegar Brewing
Letterkenny, Co Donegal
€3-€3.30
Let’s get the party started with a good pale ale and Kinnegar, a brewery based in Letterkenny in Co Donegal set the bar high with its Limeburner. This is perfect for the beer lover who enjoys the smoothness of crisp beer but doesn’t want to be bogged down in barley. Deliciously light and refreshing, it has a floral flavour and satisfying hoppy finish which gives it a little oomph and ensures it is far from boring and bland. This style is easy to drink – even without food – but it’s got enough backbone to pair well with the sausage rolls and hot dogs.
Westport Blond, Mescan Brewery
Westport, Co Mayo
€3-€3.45
One of the most rural breweries in the country, Mescan Brewery rests at the foot of Croagh Patrick and is run by two former vets who have a love for Belgian beer with an Irish twist. Stepping things up a notch in terms of flavour, we’ve opted for the Westport Blond, a flavoursome golden ale which is really well balanced. The freshness comes from floral notes along with a little apple and pear which complements the malt flavours. It’s very easy to drink and is crisp and clean on the palate, making it the perfect beer to wash down the savoury notes of the hot dog and crispy onion rings, and it brings a nice coolness when enjoyed with the buffalo wings.
Newtown Mount Kennedy, Co Wicklow
€3
Red ale and pork were made to be married making the Wicklow Wolf Wildfire a perfect partner to Neven’s sausage rolls, especially if you have a little sweet relish on the side. That’s because the sweetness in the red ale brings out the sweetness in the pork and Wildfire has a deliciously sweet malty base of caramel and chocolate. However, this touch of sweetness also works well with spice which means it is going to be a refreshing finish to the spicy, earthy flavours of the Sloppy Joes, opening up the flavours while simultaneously cleaning the palate. Wicklow Wolf opened a state-of-the-art brewery in Newtown Mount Kennedy in Wicklow in 2019 and now are back doing tours.
Knockmealdown Irish Stout, Eight Degrees Brewing
Mitchelstown, Co Cork
€3
Between Murphy’s and Beamish, Cork is famous for its stout and Eight Degrees Brewing in Mitchelstown took this county claim very seriously when it developed its Knockmealdown Irish Stout. For all you coffee lovers, this one is bound to grab your attention as the deliciously distinctive notes of espresso and chocolate draw you into a stout where those bean flavours develop, complemented by a little caramel sweetness complete with a dry finish. This full-flavoured beer with its roast barley bitterness and touch of sweet works well with the spicy flavours of the Sloppy Joes and watch it give a whole new dimension to the buffalo wings, especially with the sharp saltiness of the blue cheese dip.
Foxes Rock, Pearse Lyons Brewery
Dundalk, Co Louth
€2
One of the real breakthroughs in the beer world in recent years has been the boom in non-alcoholic beer. With drink driving laws, it means you can have a bottle without worrying and avoid the dreaded hangover. Foxes Rock is part of the Pearse Lyons Brewery in Dundalk and as soon as you pour it, the dark gold colour excites you, proving this isn’t just another watery non-alcoholic beer. Instead, it’s got a strong malty character and a touch of sweetness as caramel notes warm your taste buds, topped with a pop of citrus. It is worth noting, however, unlike the big brands which promote 0% alcohol, you will find that a lot of the craft beers contain about 0.5% alcohol, this beer included.
Read more
The perfect pairing
Wine: sweet wines and spice
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