Irish Craft Beer Festival - St.Patrick's Week

irish_goat

http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/events/event/Irish_Craft_Beer_Food_Market

On again this year but it's moved out to the RDS so will be more like the September festival with individual bars rather than one big long one. Should be at it myself anyway, possibly Sun-Tue.

Win Tickets Here - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057394128

Saruwatari

Is this similar to Alltech's fest? Any beers launching or exclusives?

Ronan|Raven

Will heading on the Saturday I reckon.

oblivious

Saruwatari wrote: »

Is this similar to Alltech's fest? Any beers launching or exclusives?

A bit like the RDS festival in September is suppose,

Some decide on the day what will be served

BMJD

The new venue should be a lot better - the CHQ place was awful last year

BeerNut

It's in a different part of the RDS from September. Don't come whining here if you end up walking the long way round

MonkstownHoop

Why can't I post on the competition page? Keeps going to an error page

BMJD

BeerNut wrote: »

It's in a different part of the RDS from September. Don't come whining here if you end up walking the long way round

It's my festival and I'll whine if I want to!

Ravelleman

BeerNut wrote: »

It's in a different part of the RDS from September. Don't come whining here if you end up walking the long way round

As long as no one goes to CHQ I think they'll be happy.

oblivious

Ravelleman wrote: »

As long as no one goes to CHQ I think they'll be happy.

There is a another event on there too

LookLordSugar

Thinking of going. Reckon it'll be jammers? It sounds great but if I'm queuing for 30 mins to get a drink I wouldn't be bothered. What y'all think?

schemingbohemia

LookLordSugar wrote: »

Thinking of going. Reckon it'll be jammers? It sounds great but if I'm queuing for 30 mins to get a drink I wouldn't be bothered. What y'all think?

At the September one there was never much of a queue to get a beer, though that was a Sunday.

It's not just one bar if it's done the same way. All the breweries will have their own bar so if there's a mad queue at one you just pick a different brewery.

BeerNut

LookLordSugar wrote: »

Reckon it'll be jammers?

On Friday and Saturday night it will be, and quite likely on Tuesday night too. Don't go then and you'll be fine.

LookLordSugar

BeerNut wrote: »

On Friday and Saturday night it will be, and quite likely on Tuesday night too. Don't go then and you'll be fine.

Sats the only day I can go, at around 6... Rugby onslaught too probably!

John_C

LookLordSugar wrote: »

Thinking of going. Reckon it'll be jammers? It sounds great but if I'm queuing for 30 mins to get a drink I wouldn't be bothered. What y'all think?

There's never much of a queue for beer but there can be queues to buy the tokens. Best thing is to buy a batch of tokens at the start so you only queue once.

Ronan|Raven

That and get in early on Saturday and be gone before the rush starts. (my plan of action)

oblivious

Beer specials for the Festival so far

Independent Brewing:
Pale ale casked hopped with Citra (cask)
Festival IPA (Keg)

8 Degrees
Enigma Pale ale, new OZ hop

Station Works Brewery

Finns Lager(cask)
irish blonde ale (cask)
irish brown ale(cask)
irish stout(cask)

BeerNut

oblivious wrote: »

Finns Lager

station works brewery (cask)

The top one's the product, the lower one is the company.

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

The top one's the product, the lower one is the company.

Picked it up wrong, all changed

BeerNut

Finn's Lager on cask? Are you reading too much into a tweet there?

tmq

oblivious wrote: »

Beer specials for the Festival so far

Independent Brewing:
Pale ale casked hopped with Citra (cask)
Festival IPA (Keg)

8 Degrees
Enigma Pale ale, new NZ hop

Station Works Brewery

Finns Lager(cask)
irish blonde ale (cask)
irish brown ale(cask)
irish stout(cask)

Think Enigma is an Aussie hop (??)

There are so many bars, the queues are short enough even at busy times. Not like waiting for a beer in ballsbridge after the rugby!

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

Finn's Lager on cask? Are you reading too much into a tweet there?

Maybe

oblivious

tmq wrote: »

Think Enigma is an Aussie hop !

Ta changed

oblivious

Beer specials for the Festival so far UPDATE

Independent Brewing:
Pale ale casked hopped with Citra (cask)
Festival IPA (Keg)

8 Degrees
Enigma Pale ale, new OZ hop

Station Works Brewery

irish blond ale (cask)
irish brown ale(cask)
irish stout(cask)

BeerNut

Eight Degrees will have Polar Vortex IPA too, but that's, like, so early March 2015.

Beersmith

Is there a near complete brewery list. The sit only has 5 or 6

BeerNut

Here.

LookLordSugar

Their website sucks. I'm totes gonna check it out on Saturday though, any excuse for stuffing my face and glugging ale. Look for the handsome guy who'll probably be pissed by 7pm.

Ravelleman

BeerNut wrote: »

Eight Degrees will have Polar Vortex IPA too, but that's, like, so early March 2015.

(If anyone is unable to wait until tomorrow to try it they have it on tap in Probus Wines.)

oblivious

Ravelleman wrote: »

(If anyone is unable to wait until tomorrow to try it they have it on tap in Probus Wines.)

Bottle are also widely available

L1011

Very little showing on the whisky side of the site (not that many of the new distillerys are old enough) but I can see a pleasant Monday afternoon ahead

oblivious

Beer specials for the Festival so far UPDATE

Independent Brewing:
Pale ale casked hopped with Citra (cask)
Festival IPA (Keg)

8 Degrees
Enigma Pale ale, new OZ hop

Station Works Brewery

irish blond ale (cask)
irish brown ale(cask)
irish stout(cask)


White hag

Searbh Rua Imperial Sour Red,
White Sow w/coffee rocket,
IPA through a hop rocket...


Porterhouse
chocolate stout

Trouble Brewing

A single cask of our Triple IPA, 11% ABV- Mandarina Bavaria, Amarillo, Equinox and Vic Secret hops
Fresh Vietnow IPA, Dry-hopped with US Comet hops
Fallen Idol, 6.3% American Dark Ale, hopped with Chinook, Citra and Vic Secret
First in a series of 'SMaSH' beers, Pale Ale with Concerto malt and Centennial hops, 4.8%.
Wandering Star, 5.3% blonde ale, brewed with Golden Promise malt, hopped with Summer and Huell Melon

Ronan|Raven

Won some tickets from the Porterhouse. Which was nice. Looking forward to trying their Chocolate Truffle Stout, never had it the last time it was out.

oblivious

Hi all

Here is a map l knocked up for the festival (Hall 1), as its not in the same location as September,

Celly Smunt

Was there last night, very nice beers around and in general the reps are very nice too and know their stuff.

The festival itself is a bit lacking, a bit too big to have any sort of atmosphere in it. Perhaps it will be a little bit busier today due to the rugby though I wouldn't fancy watching it on that screen.

gandalf

Was there this afternoon and there was a good crowd there. Good selection of beers and all I tried went down very well.

I preferred this layout to the one last September with plenty of space for people to sit, eat, drink and talk with the big screen at the end of the hall and not the middle of it. Shame the rugby result went the wrong way.

BMJD

I'm heading over to this later, really looking forward to this since there are so many new brewers that I haven't had a chance to try out so far.

L1011

Worth going to - prices a lot more reasonable than I expected. Near every stand would fill your glass, if you used the provided one, to the top rather than the fill line at that.

I did want to take the whiskey glass (looks like a Glencairn or a clone) but its actually fairly required to take the beer glass, as a lot of stands had few or no plastic glasses left.

BMJD

Good times, the White Hag Coffee Stout was amazing!

Brockagh

BMJD wrote: »

Good times, the White Hag Coffee Stout was amazing!

I liked that too. And there was another coffee stout by Kinnegar? that was very nice. Did not seem like a trade show. A good event. Could have had more whiskey exhibitors...

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

Near every stand would fill your glass, if you used the provided one, to the top rather than the fill line at that.

The fill line is a third-pint so unless the beer is over 7% they're supposed to fill it.

BMJD

Brockagh wrote: »

I liked that too. And there was another coffee stout by Kinnegar? that was very nice. Did not seem like a trade show. A good event. Could have had more whiskey exhibitors...

Yes, Cup and Saucer, I wasn't mad about it tbh. It had a hard act to follow the White Hag one to be fair.

schemingbohemia

Brockagh wrote: »

I liked that too. And there was another coffee stout by Kinnegar? that was very nice. Did not seem like a trade show. A good event. Could have had more whiskey exhibitors...

It wasn't a trade show, it was for the punters. I really enjoyed it, was quiet enough yesterday afternoon. Music was good, not too loud, no problems getting beers, lots of seats. I reckon if it had been in last year's venue it would have felt full.

Favourites were Beoir #2, O'Brother's Bonita and the White Hag coffee randalled Milk Chocolate Stout.

Ravelleman

The highlight for me was Beoir #2 - a worthy successor to the original.

Saruman

Glad you all liked it. I served the last Beoir#2 last night and it could possibly be the last in the country unless some pubs still haven't tapped their kegs yet.

Now to decide on Beoir#3

matrim

Saruman wrote: »

Glad you all liked it. I served the last Beoir#2 last night and it could possibly be the last in the country unless some pubs still haven't tapped their kegs yet.

Now to decide on Beoir#3

Baggot St Wines mentioned having about 50L left for growler fills yesterday. Was hoping to pick some up later

Ryath

Saruman wrote: »

Glad you all liked it. I served the last Beoir#2 last night and it could possibly be the last in the country unless some pubs still haven't tapped their kegs yet.

Now to decide on Beoir#3

Twas very good, first and last beer of night for me and the only one I had twice. Really liked White Hags Coffee rocket. Wasn't mad about the Porterhouse Chocolate stout bit to sweet but I had drank a few IPA before it. Black Donkeys Buck It was another memorable one lot of flavour for 4.8%

Liked the bigger hall with the extra seating but the smaller hall did have a bit more atmosphere.

Saruman

Ryath wrote: »

Liked the bigger hall with the extra seating but the smaller hall did have a bit more atmosphere.

I would say that's more down to the September festival being much bigger. More breweries and more punters. I believe it will be the larger hall in September so the best of both worlds I imagine.
The best thing about the larger hall is the toilet facilities are much better.

BaZmO*

Saruman wrote: »

I would say that's more down to the September festival being much bigger. More breweries and more punters. I believe it will be the larger hall in September so the best of both worlds I imagine.
The best thing about the larger hall is the toilet facilities are much better.

I only noticed last year that there are toilets at the back of the hall. Much better than the scrum-fest toilets at the front door.

Saruman

Yes but for whatever reason, they weren't always open and were sometimes blocked. The hallway looked unfinished or something so perhaps RDS staff didn't want people injuring themselves or something.

Big hall also has an ATM.

L1011

I couldn't actually find the ATM - the modem for it was on the wall with all the warnings about staff having no access but the ATM itself wasn't there.


Something I've only remembered now - Rye River seemed to have sixteen taps on their stand and I could only recognise one as not being one of theirs (Innis & Gunn head on it). Definite case of needing to get one thing right first...