Supporting craft breweries

28-08-2020 1:08pm

That would surely go for a real festival too though. The more interaction the more you get from it.

JoeLapira · 02-09-2020 9:44pm

Taking part in my first Craic Beer Community virtual Festival this weekend, seems to be good fun so looking forward it.

Macy0161 · 03-09-2020 10:57am

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

That would surely go for a real festival too though. The more interaction the more you get from it.

I'd probably have more confidence to discuss it with brewers now, but that's thanks to these online events.

Hotblack Desiato · 04-09-2020 2:14pm

mcgovern wrote: »

Kildare Brewing sell some but I couldn't find any others (I was also looking to get some).

Dead Centre have glasses on their online shop.

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Ballykilcavan have a steel cup on their website.

Pity their beers that I tried were so disappointing

irish_goat wrote: »

O'Hara's Stout and Leann Follain are €2.99 or 2 for €5 in Supervalu. Decent value there.

The O'Hara's range is pretty much permanently on 4 for €10 in Dunnes, too.

Guinness Extra Stout / Original / XX or whatever they're calling the CO2 stout this week, is usually dearer than that :rolleyes: - I like it but it's just not worth €2.69 a can

Then there's the O'Shea's range in Aldi, not the same beers as O'Hara's but same brewer, and cheaper. The Rye River-brewed "Grafters" (Dunnes) and "Crafty Brewing" (Lidl) are decent, too. I think Tesco have one of their own as well, but I'm not too often in there.

Macy0161 wrote: »

Some of the offers for "exclusivity" I've heard from publicans that the multinationals have thrown them (to lock out other multinationals, never mind Independents) makes you wonder how the craft sector would get any foothold without the demand from punters.

I don't see how that carry-on can be legal, but they are getting away with it nonetheless.

BeerNut wrote: »

Not many breweries have taprooms. Festivals came and went but there used to be a good few through the year.

Like everything else in Ireland, venues and insurers screw the organisers of any event every which way

Plus there's our ridiculous licensing laws to navigate.

Macy0161 · 04-09-2020 2:47pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Pity their beers that I tried were so disappointing

Their Brown is very good I think. I enjoyed Secret Passion too, and their Vice. It was actually the Red which has a good reputation that I was a bit underwhelmed by tbh.

BeerNut · 04-09-2020 5:05pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I don't see how that carry-on can be legal, but they are getting away with it nonetheless.

It's a completely inadequate law, but it suits enough powerful interests for nothing to be done about it. It's illegal to abuse a dominant position, but in Ireland the dominant position is held by Diageo, so Heineken, C&C and Molson Coors are free to do what they like to grab tap space.

Mickeroo · 08-09-2020 10:48am

Had some Kinnegar Hazy Pale Ale at the in-laws house a few weeks ago and thought it was lovely so have ordered a bunch of their stuff off craft central. Looking forward to giving them a try.

BonnieSituation · 08-09-2020 11:14am

Limeburner has been one of my go-to's now since I discovered them around 2011/12. Fantastic brewery.

Basq · 08-09-2020 9:29pm

Kinnegar is always incredible reliable to be fair!

Insect Overlord · 08-09-2020 9:40pm

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

Brock Turnpike · 08-09-2020 9:47pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

You'll never get your agreement on it e.g. I haven't looked any of 8 Degrees beers that I've tried

08-09-2020 9:48pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

Haven't tried them all but I've yet to taste anything bad from Hope and Wicklow Wolf are excellent across their range too. I don't get the love for the TC Watermelon, and that salted caramel one was awful, but they are generally really high quality.

Basq · 08-09-2020 9:48pm

Had the White Gypsy Blonde in a hotel in Clare last weekend.. and maybe it was the run on it but wasn't gone on it.

Kinnegar and White Hag are my go to's.. but then again, I am from the North West.

L1011 · 08-09-2020 9:50pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

Galway Bay have significant, ongoing batch consistency problems; plus they had a major "special" release that was basically uncarbonated (it should have been) some years ago.

8 Degrees and Kinnegar would be tops for consistent, as-described product for me.

BonnieSituation · 08-09-2020 10:05pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

White Hag are a gem

Macy0161 · 09-09-2020 9:24am

Are 8 Degrees really independent though?

Particularly since COVID, I've been pretty much exclusively Irish, and I really can't think of any real duds. I think the quality is amazing, even if some beers I wouldn't buy again, others I've been sharing with have! It's too subjective.

Also, I think some of the breweries that are putting out new beers (what seems like weekly) are bound to have some that I/ you/ people may not like.

fwiw I struggle to think of a Wicklow Wolf I don't like. Great core range, and the specials/ collabs I've managed to get before they sold out are very good. But I'm bias as my local brewery!

the beer revolu · 09-09-2020 9:35am

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Trying to think of Irish breweries who haven't made a bad beer. Kinnegar, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Treaty City (yes, I've tried all of theirs!) Galway Bay, and probably White Hag come to mind. Any others?

A few years ago, I'd have heartily agreed with regard to 8 Degrees. But theses day I find their beers nothing like they were 5 years ago. Their Citra is really awful at the moment.

Galway Bay, I stopped buying some years ago due to inconsistencies.

Brock Turnpike · 09-09-2020 10:13am

BonnieSituation wrote: »

White Hag are a gem

Agree with this. Their Atlantean is my current go to beer.

zoobizoo · 09-09-2020 10:20am

Larkin's Pale Ale is my go to beer.

Their IPA is quality as well.

randomname2005 · 09-09-2020 11:08am

BonnieSituation wrote: »

White Hag are a gem

Agree, and Dot too, some fantastic stuff from them.

Pen Rua · 09-09-2020 12:49pm

O Brother seem to slip under the radar in these threads. Their core range is ok (was in 3 for €9 in Tesco a few weeks ago) but their special runs are great. I've had 3 of the 4 they've released over the last couple of weeks and all of them have been super.

Macy0161 · 10-09-2020 10:33am

Pen Rua wrote: »

Their core range is ok (was in 3 for €9 in Tesco a few weeks ago) but their special runs are great.

Still 3 for €9 last night in Wicklow Tesco.

Basq · 10-09-2020 4:51pm

Bought!

irish_goat · 12-10-2020 10:44am

Craic Beer are doing another online tasting/Q&A this weekend with LINEMAN.

https://craic-beer-community.ie/events/craicing-beers-with-lineman/

Macy0161 · 12-10-2020 4:36pm

I won't make this one, but really enjoyed Mark talking on one of the Craic festivals (I forget which one - maybe the second?), and those are three great beers imo.

Pen Rua · 13-10-2020 10:24am

Just had a glance on Craft Central, and noticed Whiplash have a trio lined up for release:

Always Half Strange, Belgian Pale Ale
Grisette Traminer Grisette with Lyche, Orange & Rose Flower
Backdrifts Oat Tripel With Orange Zest

Nice to see something new from them that isn't a (D)IPA.

the beer revolu · 13-10-2020 10:27am

Pen Rua wrote: »

Nice to see something new from them that isn't a (D)IPA.

To be honest, I'd half expect them all to be riffs on NEIPAs!
I don't trust their labelling anymore.

breezy1985 · 13-10-2020 10:37am

the beer revolu wrote: »

To be honest, I'd half expect them all to be riffs on NEIPAs!
I don't trust their labelling anymore.

I know it's an English thing but across the water everything seems to just be a variation on IPA. Thank god in Ireland at least a fair amount of the breweries take influence from Belgium

the beer revolu · 13-10-2020 10:50am

breezy1985 wrote: »

I know it's an English thing but across the water everything seems to just be a variation on IPA. Thank god in Ireland at least a fair amount of the breweries take influence from Belgium

As long as I am reliably informed on the label as to what to expect in the container, I'm happy for breweries to make any style they like!
Many breweries seem to have dismissed the importance of product descriptions on labels.

breezy1985 · 13-10-2020 11:17am

the beer revolu wrote: »

As long as I am reliably informed on the label as to what to expect in the container, I'm happy for breweries to make any style they like!
Many breweries seem to have dismissed the importance of product descriptions on labels.

The one that really bugs me is when a pilsner or lager is hoped up like a pale and it fails to tell you on the label. Used to get awful crap from people when I worked in pubs over this

Supporting craft breweries

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