Smithwicks !

Voodoomelon

LostinBlanch wrote: »

It's a load of ****e. McArdles is a miles better drink, if you can get it that is. Smithwicks (along with Harp) was only bought by Guinness to diversify from stout and capture the rest of the beer drinking market over here before people actually tasted proper beers.

Nordies lager of choice is Harp - enough said. I wouldn't be going by their taste buds.

I never said I liked it. We're just outside Dundalk and stopped selling McArdles about a year ago, don't think its available any more at all? Open to correction on that.

Was 50:50 as to whether someone asked for McArdles or Smithwicks, if we ran out of one they'd usually have the other 99% of the time. I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference between the two after the first few pints.

joshrogan

Had a can of the shtuff a couple of months ago, wasn't too fond of it meself now I'll tell ya that much!

admiralofthefleet

i like it a lot but i prefer mcardles

PaulKK

Its true that its popular moreso in Kilkenny, most young lads would drink it anyway, i've drank it since i was 18. My local only had a guinness and smithwicks tap for years. Delicious nectar it is.

Nobody asks for a pint of smithwicks either, its a pint of ale.

Agree about the new glass too, what a bollocks they made of it, bring back the old one!

log22

Smithwicks was my first drink when i was 17 or that yeah it would be popular here in kilkenny.i agree with another post if they marketed the 300th birthday properly it would have been alot better but the big lights accross from the market yard were nice.yeah was a very good pint but i went off it a good while ago.i new glass doesent look that good but shur its only a glass.

mjcom4d

Only 16 and thought I was the only one in the group to drink how wrong I was good stuff in Kilkenny

red bull

Great stuff after a few pint of guinness, but must be served in the special smithicks glass it makes all the difference:D

buck65

Smithwicks is waaaay ahead of the likes of Carlsberg, Heineken, fosters, Coors, Miller etc. They are just flavoured water. At least Smithwicks tastes something like real beer. Still though I wouldn't rate it more than 6/10, Guinness would be a notch above for me but there are far better Irish beers out there if you look at the micro breweries and the Porter house.

jimthemental

Love the stuff, my local does a powerful pint because the flow is always good. It travels well too, got a few good pints in a pub in Chicago called Grealy's. It's always been my favorite beer along with Guinness. Guinness is more of a winter drink.

jemser

When I started going to the pub I used to drink smithwicks by the barrel load but cant stand the taste of it these days

replica

Have only ever drank a couple of pints of it here in Ireland and thought it was woeful. However, I was recently on holidays in Chicago and wandered into an Irish pub... it was 92F outside so I fancied something really cold and thirst quenching. There before me was a Smithwisk tap so I tried a pint... 6 pints later and I was pleasantly surprised as it tasted lovely. Tried it at home when I got back and yes it tasted woeful once again... it appears that our US neighbours are doing something to it that makes it taste a lot better than here at home.

jimthemental

replica wrote: »

Have only ever drank a couple of pints of it here in Ireland and thought it was woeful. However, I was recently on holidays in Chicago and wandered into an Irish pub... it was 92F outside so I fancied something really cold and thirst quenching. There before me was a Smithwisk tap so I tried a pint... 6 pints later and I was pleasantly surprised as it tasted lovely. Tried it at home when I got back and yes it tasted woeful once again... it appears that our US neighbours are doing something to it that makes it taste a lot better than here at home.

You're just drinking it in a bad area I'd say. Dundalk, Kilkenny and Tipperary seem to be the best pints due to greater demand and more flow in the tap. If kegs are left out in the sun for a few days too they go off and you'd nearly be as well to drink Bud. Nearly but not quite.

By the way what pub in Chicago was it?

stephen_k

Ghost Buster wrote: »

In mayo just ask for a pint of Special;)

Used to drink when I was 16/17 or so, went back to it since moving to Mayo, very partial to a pint of Special...

buck65

buck65 wrote: »

there are far better Irish beers out there if you look at the micro breweries and the Porter house.

Completely disagree, imo the stuff from micro brewerys is piss water. Smithwicks is miles ahead.

Orando Broom

I drink Smithwicks during the Lent.

sbsquarepants

I have a stomach like a billy goat and usually i will drink whatever is put in front of me, but one of the very few exceptions is smithwicks, i absolutely can not stomach the piss. I had 1 mouthfull of it about 20 years ago and 1 more about 10 years later to see if there was something wrong with the first one i tasted.......there wasn't it just tastes like shít. I would quite honestly drink my own piss, long before i'd drink smithwicks.:mad:

Scanlas The 2nd

The best beers come from Germany, France and Belgium. Delicious.

buck65

Raphael Sticky Listener wrote: »

Completely disagree, imo the stuff from micro brewerys is piss water. Smithwicks is miles ahead.

I could name 3 better Red beers alone that aren't widely available - have you ever drank in the Franciscan Brewery in Cork? their red beer is superior as is Porterhouse red and I would rate Finians red beer ahead of Smithwicks too.
Listen I like it and drink the stuff when it is available and the Guinness is bad or it is too warm but your attitude to Micro breweries is bewildering.

HoggyRS

Had it once in Canada about 5 years ago and thought it was great. Its simply never crossed my mind to have a pint of it since. Must try it again soon!

prinz

Yep, very partial to the pint of Smithwicks every now and again. If you are feeling a bit dodgy or taking it slow then a few pints of it is great to settle you.

replica

jimthemental wrote: »

You're just drinking it in a bad area I'd say. Dundalk, Kilkenny and Tipperary seem to be the best pints due to greater demand and more flow in the tap. If kegs are left out in the sun for a few days too they go off and you'd nearly be as well to drink Bud. Nearly but not quite.

By the way what pub in Chicago was it?

Pub was called the 'Kerryman' and the barman was from Cork!

kylith

I drink Smithwicks. In some places outside main population centres it can be a choice of Guinness, Smithwicks or Budweiser, so I go for the tastier option.

It's a nice pint (got a lovely pint of it in Kerry last week), but I'd prefer Murphy's Red if drinking red beer.

My preferences would be (in order)
Budvar
Murphy's Red
Smithwick's
Carlsberg
Everything else

jimthemental

replica wrote: »

Pub was called the 'Kerryman' and the barman was from Cork!

I was in it, it's not far from the Hancock building I think. Beer was grand, food was ****e. The steak sandwich I got had medium rare but cold steak and half frozen bread.

Plazaman

Any good hot Summers day (whenever we get them) if heading to a drinking emporium, instead of a Bulmers, get a nice pint of Smithwick Shandy to down in a few gulps to quench thirst and it is delish.

Stipulation 1 : Smithwicks must be cold
Stipulation 2 : Must be a freshly opened bottle of Red Lemonade - nothing worse than flat stuff

buck65

buck65 wrote: »

I could name 3 better Red beers alone that aren't widely available - have you ever drank in the Franciscan Brewery in Cork? their red beer is superior as is Porterhouse red and I would rate Finians red beer ahead of Smithwicks too.
Listen I like it and drink the stuff when it is available and the Guinness is bad or it is too warm but your attitude to Micro breweries is bewildering.

The Franciscan well is the most one I have drank in and my heart sinks when I hear we are going there, though thankfully its not too often. The rebel red is ok but a good pint of smithwicks is miles ahead imo. Regardless of taste though the rebel red is poison, awful hard on the stomach and head, if I go there now I have a bottle of some larger or other. Also their stout just tastes like bad Guinness.

I'm very much a person who likes what I'm used to. I would very rarely drink anything other than Guinness, Smithwicks or corona (not including spirits obviously) unless I have no choice.

Naykid

I drink nothing else!! Has to have a Guinness head though. It really improves the taste, and its always great fun watching most of the Bar staff making a balls of putting the head on it. Im 27 now, been drinking it for years, it was actually one of my favourites when I first started drinking, moved to Carlsberg for a while and now back on the Smithwicks + Guinness head. the only problem I have with the combination is theres no name on it. In some bars its referred to as a special but on more than one occasion I have asked for a pint of special and ended up with two bottles of bacardi breezer or some crap like that!!!

Used to go to a bar regularly and ask for it and the poor ould barman with give me a pint of half and half. now thats rotten!!

jimthemental

Guinness Smithwick's 50:50 is called Black and Tan down our way.

W.Shakes-Beer

Kilkenny Ale, enough said.

buck65

Pity you didn't say it 128 posts ago.

Seannew1

I go through phases of liking the stuff.Few pubs I've had smithwicks in was nasty but a few others were grand.

dpe

Its a pretty poor-wannabe bitter. I grew up drinking Tetley, John Smiths or Holts and Smithwicks is garbage compared to them. Funnily enough I quite liked Caffreys (although my ring didn't) when the UK went "Oirish" pub-mad in the nineties, but I can't touch Smithwicks. I stick to Guinness unless I go back to the UK.

evercloserunion

Smithwicks is my favourite of the really popular beers, but there are indeed some nicer Irish reds out there. Porthouse Red and Brainblasta are among my favourite drinks. McGrath's Irish Red is also really good.

summerskin

Jamsiek wrote: »

Raphael Sticky Listener wrote: »

The Franciscan well is the most one I have drank in and my heart sinks when I hear we are going there, though thankfully its not too often. The rebel red is ok but a good pint of smithwicks is miles ahead imo. Regardless of taste though the rebel red is poison, awful hard on the stomach and head, if I go there now I have a bottle of some larger or other. Also their stout just tastes like bad Guinness.

I'm very much a person who likes what I'm used to. I would very rarely drink anything other than Guinness, Smithwicks or corona (not including spirits obviously) unless I have no choice.

I was in Kilkenny at the Cat laughs festival and they were giving out free pints of Smithwicks and nobody was drinking it even though its a local beer. I was one of the people that didn't drink it. Stuck to Carlsberg

And you brought up a thread from a year ago to tell us that?

Well done pal, yer a fukcing hero.

Onesimus

3.8% I love it. Just started drinking it recently. Unfortunately down here you all dont sell the english ale ''John Smiths smooth'' which I LOVE. But smithwicks is a good substitute.

akura

Smithwicks is all my dad will drink.

Boombastic

I'm not anti-semitic, I just prefer the taste of McArdles :pac:

super_furry

I'll have it now and again when I can't stomach anymore Guinness. Their new Smithwicks Pale Ale is really good too - as good as anything you'll find in a bog standard pub on tap.

oldyouth

Smithwicks was my learner drink back in the day. Lasted until 19 on the stuff. I couldn't take a mouthful of the stuff now. It always has a sour whiff of it.

mfceiling

Used to drink it years ago...bass was also cheap so it was on the radar....fcukin Bertie aherne ruined bass for everyone...

Poor Uncle Tom

Phoenix is yer only man...

Like suckin' bog water through a tramps hankie....

Swampy

Drinking it at the moment. With a Guinness head.

saabsaab

Smithwicks is grand when it is fresh. You can get it a bit off sometimes if the pub does not have regular drinkers and the lines aren't let run a bit. I like it with a guinness head too.

LordSutch

Drank Smithwicks way back in the 80s, then I progressed to better and nicer beers like those Cask Ales brewed in England, from Hobgoblin to Abbott Ale, Fiddlers Elbow, Old Peculier, Old Speckled Hen, Fullers ESB, Bombardier, (the list is endless), just love those real ales, then there's all those european beers available now too!

Must give Smithwicks another go in the near future.

admiralofthefleet

Boombastic wrote: »

I'm not anti-semitic, I just prefer the taste of McArdles :pac:

mc ardles is lovely, even nicer if you make a black and tan with a pint of guinness

superblu

Used to drink it when I was younger. I loved it with a Guinness head or really cold out of a can. Think out of nostalgia I might have a pint of it at the weekend. The taste will probably remind me of steeling myself to ask a wan for the shift back in the day.

Boombastic

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

mc ardles is lovely, even nicer if you make a black and tan with a pint of guinness

Tasty, I would also be partial to a glass of I.R.A*

I decide what beer to drink on a case by case basis


*Indian Red Ale

Munstermissy

When my mate goes on the dry for November/Lent he drinks Smithwicks:-)

mikemac1

Swampy wrote: »

Drinking it at the moment. With a Guinness head.

Is that called a Black n' Tan?

I've heard of that in pubs but unsure what that is

admiralofthefleet

mikemac1 wrote: »

Is that called a Black n' Tan?

I've heard of that in pubs but unsure what that is

no a black and tan is half/half guinness and mc ardles/ale

Spread

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

Only people from Kilkenny/Carlow drink it

It's fairly popular out here. I know a good few people with no/very little Irish blood who drink it.