mlyday
Well-Known Member
We will mostly be in Dublin and Shannon areas. Any local brews I should make sure I try, or any must visit pubs. We are going to visit the guinness storehouse.
you can also take a boat to inisheer ( sp? ), the smallest Aran island. I loved it. the boat ride was rocky but beautiful.If you get a chance go to Galway and then take a plane from there to the Arann Islands.
I love Ireland.
Here is a great entertaining book that you might want to read before go (or anytime). Hilarious travelog from a serious beer drinker.
Looks interesting. Ill be picking this up tommorow.
I just got back from Ireland about two weeks ago.
Definitely go to the Guinness Storehouse, but don't set your expectations terribly high; the self-guided walking tour that you take is fairly vague and uninformative as far as the actual brewing process goes. I actually found it a tad condescending--it's definitely more about pushing the brand than teaching you anything. Of course, there's a ton of neat stuff there about the history of Guinness, which is pretty interesting if you're into that sort of thing. But what really makes the trip worth it is that free pint at the end...deliciously fresh, masterfully poured, and you get a fantastic view of Dublin while you drink it.
As for the rest of your trip, it's a bit difficult to give advice without knowing your itinerary. Like others have said, it's mostly Guinness, Smithwick's and light lagers in the pubs, but if you're out west try asking for a Murphy's or a Beamish. They're not quite as complex as a Guinness, but every pint I had was amazingly fresh and smooth, and they struck me as more session-able beers than Guinness. You'll also see Bulmer's Cider at most pubs out west; it's decent and worth a try.
That's my two cents, anyway. Have fun!
i thought the guiness tour was the disney of breweries. A lot of show without a lot of info. It's not like the tours at coors or bud, where you actually see the process. But, as was said, if you approach it as the history of guiness and not the process then it is a neat tour. Check out the 1,000 year lease while you are there.
FYI, i thought/think beamish is a much better beer than guiness, but maybe that was just me. Less acrid at the end, which i liked.
A list of pubs stocking craft Irish beer is maintained here:
http://www.irishcraftbrewer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91&Itemid=69
Im less interested in the tour, and more interested in the store and bar.
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