pcooper

Hi, everyone. Does anyone have ideas about the best beer/stout, etc...to order in pubs in western and SW Ireland. Is this question too general? We know about Guiness stout and think have heard of another beer/stout that's equally famous?

Itallian_Chauffer

Try Murphy's or Smithwick's (pronounced SMIT-ICKS). Also, you might want to try a FAT FROG (about 15 Euro). Diet Coke is available everywhere, dunno about local beer, but most common bar beers are locally brewed Budweiser and Heinicken.

Budman

Smithwick's is a great alternative to Guinness. I always thought it was a lagar, but later learned it's an ale. It goes down nice & smooth.

I did read that there are some local brews in some of the areas, but never tried any. You might want to ask in the pubs you go into. Some local brews are excellent.

I must admit, I had to try a Budweiser on my last trip -- just had to try one. What a big mistake. It was awful!!

leisa

the best thing to do is, head straight to the bar - take a considered look at the taps on offer - if there's one you haven't sampled yet, order a pint !
but you'll find just as many 'imported' beers as local beers on tap here now. if you want to feel like a local, ordering guinness no matter what part of the country you're in will do the trick. Caffrey's is not too bad, Beamish is pretty good too, then there's Murphy's .... Smithwicks is stretching it a bit, Harp when you're really desperate. If you are stopping in Dublin don't miss a visit to The PorterHouse on Parliament St, try their Oyster Stout ....
In Co. Clare you should try to find a pint of Biddy's ...
but sure ye can't beat a pint of magic !

Itallian_Chauffer

Oops, I read 'ocal' as ZERO cal (as in calories). Only in retrospect did I relize that you probably meant LOCAL. Explains the Diet Coke reference.

edhodge

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Harp! I could not chew enough to enjoy a full pint of Guinness, just a little too earthy for me, but we loved Harp. I am going to try some Smithwicks this time, though!

Diane

flanneruk

Guinness has two "rivals" (in the sense that Mrs Olsen's corner convenience store would be a rival to Wal-Mart if her shop was clandesinely owned by Carrefour) in the stout business: Murphy's and Beamish (once local beers in the SW, but now owned by multinationals just like Guinness). Many afficionados, and regional loyalists, prefer the alternatives - though if you find stout difficult to manage, you'll be as leery of them as of Guinness.

There's virtually no tradition in Ireland of brewing beers that aren't stout. You have a choice between recently invented, mass-marketed ales, horrid lagers and a burgeoning range of interesting products from microbreweries.

Smithwicks is a bland clone of the tasteless junk beers ("keg bitter&quotdeveloped in the UK in the 1960s. Caffreys - a smooth beer, like British beers only different - allegedly has been brewed in Ireland ever since St Patrick gave up snake-hunting. But as far as I'm aware it was invented by a marketing man early in the 1990s. There are a number of near clones which include "Red" in their brand name.

In fact, until the 1960s, many Irishmen who wanted a drink and didn't care for stout drank cider, which can pack a heavier punch than beer.

Most locally brewed lager (ie Harp and Carling) has the one saving grace that it's not as awful as American beer. By Continental standards, it's undrinkable.

However, enthusiastic entrepreneurs are developing all sorts of drinkable alternatives to the McBeer the British-dominated multinationals churn out.
A useful account of Irish beer and cider is at www.xs4all.nl/~patto1ro/irlbrew.htm

wojazz3

Left off this list so far is Kilkenny, which is a bit like Caffrey's. It's a pretty drinkable beer. Also in Dublin is McGuires on the Liffey which brews a fine list of beers. I'll second the notion of taking a trip out to Inagh and the Biddy Early brewery. Even if you are not a pilsner fan, try theirs. It's quite good and not much like most pilsners.

Smithwick's is a very mild red ale and thus not offensive to those who like lagers. Harp is not enough different from many of the American lagers to really set it apart from them.

I found the Murphy's better in SW Ireland than in other places and never found a Beamish that matched the other two blackporters.

Despite the stories of great beer drinking in Ireland, there are relatively few choices there and Guinness still rules, especially keeping in mind they own both Smithwick's and Kilkenny. If I were just going to drink beer, the UK has a huge number of locals though most of them are pretty similar "real" ales. St. Austell stood out for me there.

Bill

wojazz3

Another quick note. When we refer to terrible American beers, be sure that we are refering to the massed produced lagers such as Bud, Miller and Coors. The States are loaded with fine microbreweries that produce exceptional ales, porters, stouts, barley wines and everything in between.

Bill

flanneruk

wojazz:

Since I made the reference to America's Shame, I should emphasise that I agree with you completely.

America's splendid microbreweries don't totally compensate for the awfulness of ersatz Budweiser (or the company's crime in abusing the brand name of a fine, Czech, real beer).

But they go a long way towards making amends. And Coors et al are no more guilty of crimes against drinkers than many UK breweries.

wojazz3

flanneruk:

I understand that Coors now owns Caffrey's which is why it is no longer available in the States. I hope the beer being produced by Caffrey's hasn't diminished much. Oh yeah, and Pete Coors is now running for the US Senate.

Never had the real Budwiser, but I'd love to find it sometime.

Bill

Lovejoy

Wojaz3 said,"Never had the real Budwiser, but I'd love to find it sometime."
If you are in the States it is available under the name "Czechvar".They had to change the name for the US market to get around a trademark dispute with a corporate thug in St Louis. If you have any Trader Joes around you you will find it there.
Here is a link for more info:
http://www.beersince1933.com/czechvar.htm

pcooper

Thanks a lot, everyone, for your suggestions. I think Smithwick's is the one that had heard of but can see we'll not lack for choices! Like you, we're not fond of Amc. beers (ie Bud, Millers, etc...) and we like to try local ones whenever possible when traveling.

wojazz3

Lovejoy:

Thanks for the tip. We have no trader Joe's in Colorado but a couple of pretty major beer emporiums. I'll check it out.

Bill