Irish Beverages
 

Okay, what is good to drink in Ireland? I have no idea what Guiness is, or stout, and what about the Irish whiskies? I'd like some direction and experience to help me on my way in October.

Well, if you;re really interested in Guinness - why not just try some (IMHO just much heavier than any type of lager) - you can find it in any supermarket. Same for Irish whiskies in an local wine store. Why not try and see what you like for cheap - before you have to pay the pubs' per drink prices for them.

But Guinness from an American supermarket tastes nothing like a well-poured Guinness from the tap in an Irish pub!

Guinness, at least in Ireland, is a dark, rich beer which to my taste is very smooth and drinkable. Trying it elsewhere is not the same experience as it doesn't seem to travel all that well. I've had it in the UK as well, but it just wasn't the same.

There are others that are good as well, such as Murphy's and ciders are also an option.

What I am really trying to find out is what these drinks are like. I have had Jamison whiskey for instance, so what are some other possibilities to try? I have had the regular American beers and some of the Mexican and English beers and a few others---but have no idea what Guiness is like. I gather there is a huge selection of beers in whiskey in Ireland---so much to drink and so little time, so I'd like to get some good ideas where to start.

There's never an overwhelming selection of beers in one pub. Maybe 4-6 on tap and then a selection of bottles. The best way to find out what you like is find a pub, put in your order and have a seat. Guinness is a stout, BTW.

adam - when in Dublin try to get to Mulligans on Poolbeg St, serves the best pint of guinness in the city.
guinness is a stout, a dark beer, and a good guinness will taste a little bitter, yet sweet, and will be thick and creamy, it should maintain the creamy head right til the last drop.
After your pint has been served to you you must WAIT until it settles before you drink. And herein lies the magic of guinness ..... the anticipation of the first soul refreshing mouthful!
A manky guinness will taste watery and very bitter - don't drink it.

You might enjoy the Jameson's Distillery tour - at the end of the tour they ask for volunteers to be taste testers ... you get to try 4 or so whiskeys, and even though i don't care much for the taste of whiskey it was none the less very interesting to learn the difference between the 4 varieties.

As the others have advised, when you go into a pub just scan the taps to see what is on offer and sample at your leisure, ask for a 'glass of ...' whatever if you don't want to drink pints. A 'glass' is a half pint.

Have fun.

Hey, thanks for the help. I learned a lot already. I had no idea Guinnes was a stout, and I guess I am still unsure what classifies a stout. But at least I know now what to look for. I am so looking forward to trying some!

Bailey's Irish Creme over a couple of ice cubes. There is nothing in the world like it and the cream is better there because it's not ruined with preservatives and what not. Just so fresh and mmmmmmmmmmm.........!

A caution about Guinness -- it creates an inordinate amount of gas in one's system, so those awful sounds and stenchy odors can only be attributed to the "source." ((w)) ((b))

About 6 years ago Guinness installed 'cold box' taps in many pubs and sold 'Extra cold' Guinness, but I don't think it went over very well with Irish Guinness drinkers. I prefer the old fashioned draught Guinness. Some other brands you may wish to try are Harp, Smithwicks (the 'w' is silent), Murphy's and Bulmer's (that last being a Cider).

Bailey's Irish Cream is, IMHO, for Irish Coffee or to pick up in the Duty Free shop at the airport and bring home. Jameson and Powers are popular Irish whiskeys from the Republic as is Bushmill's from the North.

BTW
Guinness 'family' includes Cruz Campo (Spain), Heinekin (Netherlands) and an Australian Brewery

adam,

Should you sample Guiness - and by all means do - you'd be wise to a give a couple other Irish stouts a whirl. Murphy's, hailing from Co. Cork, is quite tasty, and offers a wee bit of sweetness. Another good stout is Beamish. In fact, it's on par with Guiness, but is often overlooked by tourist tipplers.

As for spirits, Bushmills is at the head of the class, and makes for an ideal conclusion to a day of touring the Emerald Isle.

Cheers and best of luck.

This is just great information! Question about Bulmer's. When you say 'cider' I am assuming it is an alcoholic cider, is that correct? And also, are there any mixed drinks like I have heard about in England like---is it lemonade and beer? I just want to experiment with what the locals enjoy.

Lemonade mixed with beer is called a shandy. Dreadful stuff!

On our second trip to Ireland I had my first warm port, offered by our dinner waitress who said it would help my cold. It was so good I didn't care if it helped or not. Then I found out about hot whiskey...Luckily most of our trips are in cooler weather so I can order these drinks!

As for stouts, I don't care for the taste of Guinness, but I am okay with Murphy's. I usually order Smithwick's if I am drinking "beer". My husband is Guinness all the way!

Would agree with previous poster - I find Murphy's more palatable. I'm more of a beer fan (Try Kilkenny).

Fans of Stout will scream, but I find the tiniest spot (and just that) of blackcurrant in a Guinness, just helps it go down a bit easier.

As for Whiskey, try it with a drop of water instead of ice.

You should NEVER have to wait for your Guinness to settle after you get it at the bar or have it brought to your table. It should settle before it is moved. If it hasn't, that's what they call a "white pint". Don't stand for it!

And the extra cold taps are doing just fine in Ireland. Most pubs offer a choice between the standard stuff (still cold, definitely not room temperature) and the Extra Cold flow.

A lot of men I know like a shandy if they are driving, or after playing football.

Cider is very sweet. You tend to find that kids drink it by the liter (it's very cheap from the off license) or younger women drink it in the pub, because of the sweetness. I used to like it until I hit about 25, and then it just became to sweet for my taste.

Walter, I won't even comment on the blackcurrant fiasco.

A few follow-up questions. . .is the cider alchololic? Is Harp and Smithwick beer or stout? What is the difference between beer and stout? Any other beer, whiskey, or drink to consider? The information you all have shared is wonderful. I am going to have a grand time in Ireland. . .might not see much of the sights but will definitely have a good time in the pubs!

Cider is always alcoholic in Eire & the UK.(unless otherwise stated)Some ciders are very strong.
Stout (porter) contains, I believe, toasted oatmeal.

Cider is alcoholic but Irish Cider (Bulmers) is sweet Cider. In the UK most Ciders are sour tasting totally defferent from Bulmers. Bukmers is called Magners in the UK and I think something else in France.

Guiness you just have to try. most people do not like it initially but if its fresh it grows on you. The canned guiness is fine and a good way to try before.


People do drink shandy's like ann said if they are driving or off to an acticity later. Its not bad so try for yourself.

Hot port and hot Whiskey are great in the winter to warm the bones.

You also can get wine and short i.e. G&T etc.

MaryZ is right...the true Guinness you can't get this side of Ireland! Certainly if you want a taste find a place where it is on tap (as opposed to bottles). However, nothing like drawing a pint in Dublin. And as others say it is indeed dark and stout. I got onto this actually while in the UK but now favor the flavor. It is an acquired taste, though, especially for those who are used to light beers.

Ozarks Bill

Adam, in answer to your question last night, they are all beers. Stout is a top fermented beer and therefore part of the ale family. It is very dark in colour, almost black, due to the use of burnt malt. Harp is a lager and Smithwicks is an ale.

Make sure you give your Guinness the "tap" test to see if it's ready to drink.

Take a Euro coin and tap on the side of the glass. If you hear a "dull" sound, your Guinness has yet to settle. If you hear a "sharp glass" sound, your Guinness has settled (all the air has come to the top), and it's ready to drink. ((b))

Siobhanp - the canned Guiness you get in Ireland must be different from what we get in the States -- the Guinness in a can here is as bad as the American slop Coors etc.. they call beer -- I drink nothing but beers from micro breweries in the states - Oh yea coming to Ireland next Monday (9/20)
for a good guinnes. Also thanks for all your helpful information.
Lizard

I disagree about canned Guinness. Although it isn't what you get on tap in a Dublin pub, to compare it to Coors is a travesty. There is absolutely no comparison. The monster breweries don't really put out any beer that compares to the micros in the states, there are some fine imports. Fullers London porter is quite good, you've got to have Orkney's Skull Splitter if you like barleywines and consider a Flag Porter if you can find it. Great stuff!!

Have fun in Ireland. Next year, in late September plan a trip to Denver for the GABF (Great American Beer Festival). An ENORMOUS selection of microbrews!

Bill

Try Irish Single Malt Whiskeys from the small, independant distilleries. Pubs generally carry a selection. Don't tell Sheila I said this, but there are some that prefer Irish single malt to the Scottish variety :)

If you find connemara whiskey there, try it. It's a very nice single malt.

Bill

wopjazz
to each his own taste or lackthereof - ha ha just kidding - thanks for all your help in planning my trip
lizard

budman - what's with the tap test ?
nobody does that !

Lizard, we would keep a few cans arounf the house of Guinness to offer guests etc. Mostly we buy a case at Christmas time. Maybe the canned stuff is nicer here in Ireland but it certainly nothing like a weak coors light!

To be homest most Irish people will tell ypou the best guiness is in the countryside in an old pub. It never tastes as nice in Dublin and we are convinced its the taps that are cleaned less often make it taste better!

Adam: As a non-Guinness drinker, I was worried I'd have to learn to like it in Ireland. Upon finding out that I liked Sam Adams, Penn Pilsener, Sierra Nevada in the states, Budman correctly steered me to Smithwicks. As one poster correctly noted, when you order it, say "Smithicks".

Questions:
Ron--okay educate me a bit more now that you have on stouts---what makes a lager a lager and an ale an ale
O'reily--you say to try single malt whiskies from small independent distilleries, how would I know something was from a small independent distillery?

Amelia: You give me hope that I'll find a stout I can 'relate' to since I like Sam Adams. Thanks for the tip, I think it will be helpful for my traveling companions too.

From what I understood Guinness is a Malt Beer and has a heavier malty taste. I used to live near the Brewery and god it smelled like bread baking one day and pretty awdful (Burning malst) the next. I still get a whif occasionally where I am living. It's a weird smell but not unpleasant when they are brewing.

I thought the difference between beers and ales was what was used to make it into alcohol i.e malt, hops etc and age. Am I wrong?

Adam, basically the difference is in the yeast. An ale is produced at higher temperatures (~room temperature) by a yeast that will float to the top during fermentation. A lager is produced at lower temperatures (~10C) by a yeast that will sink to the bottom during fermentation. Higher temperature brewing (ale) produces more fruity, floral flavours, while the cool temperature brewing (lager) subdues the formation of these flavours.

And since people who drink beer increasingly don't seem to like the taste of beer, lagers are coming to dminate most markets.

Ale= Beer made with ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevesia), often with a fruity aroma caused by fermenting at warmer temperatures.
Lager= Beer that is fermented cool using lager yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) and stored cold for a period of weeks in order to give it a clean smooth flavor. From the the German verb meaning "to store".
Stout -- (a strong very dark heavy-bodied ale made from pale malt and roasted unmalted barley and (often) caramel malt with hops)

Be sure to try a Smithwick's (the "w" is silent) and an Irish coffee! Smithwick's just became available in the US, but I don't think it's everywhere. Luckily it's here in Chicago where I live. Mmm...

One of the interesting things about beer is that there is naturally an assumed association between color, depth of flavor, and alcohol content. In other words, incorrectly there was an assumption that Guinness packed a punch where wimpy, colorless American lagers didn't.

This is precisely how Budweiser got a hold of the market internationally. It realized why there would be a sales problem. It sent its representatives out into the field to tackle pub owners, taking them out to dinner but insisting on only Bud products to drink throughout the evening. When the contact made the follow-up call the next day to a poor pub owner with a terrible hangover, he/she would make the statement: "Forgot to warn you--just because it doesn't have color doesn't mean it doesn't have muscle--this stuff is far more powerful than Guinness" or something like that. Therefore, the bar owner would pass that tip onto his customers, and everyone would want to try the flavorless things just to see.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that all dark beers have low alcohol content. Make sure that if one has three "Arrogant Bastard" drafts, one employs a driver.

Amelia makes a good point. In fact, there is a class of low alcohol (ABV less than 3.5%), dark, flavoursome beer in the UK, becoming harder to find, called mild ale. Thwaites Mild, from Blackburn, Lancashire is an excellent example.

fascinating stuff---the information you have shared.

amelia, my son and I were in a Belgium restaurant last December in Philadelphia with our wives. We had fun ordering our "Arrogant Bastards" on tap, and our waitress said that she just loved asking the bartender to give her "a couple of Bastards." ((a)) ((b))