Irish beer and whiskey

Without doubt, the most famous Irish beer is Guinness.  Brewed in Dublin, it is dark ale brewed using black malt.  It should be served at precisely 6°C (43°F) and takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint in a two step "allow to settle and top up" technique.

The other "black beers" are brewed down in Cork. Beamish has a more velvety texture than Guinness, whilst Murphy's is slightly less bitter than Guinness. Forgive me if you disagree, as I speak from personal experience (it's really tough, doing this sort of research!).

One bit of fact finding you must not miss on a trip to Ireland is a trip round the Smithwick Brewery and free taster of the product. The brewery is located in Kilkenny, which lies south west of Dublin.

Another beer from Kilkenny, which - like Guinness - takes a while to pour (two minutes) but worth the wait, is Kilkenny Draft. It's far too good to export, so you'll have to come over in person. But it will be worth the trip.

The Bushmills Distillery, makers of the famous Black Bush Whiskey, is located near Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.  With a licence to distil spirits dated April 1608, there is little doubt they are the world's oldest whiskey distillery.

Meanwhile, that relative slip of a youngster, Jameson, distils its whiskey about 12 miles east of Cork in the Middleton Distillery, where it has done so since 1825, using the clean, waters of the Dungonney River. This is the one occasion when you can safely volunteer.

When?

Immediately the guide asks who would like to taste the product.

© 2007  Joseph Donegal  and The-Best-Of-Ireland.com