Best Beer to buy in Newry???

sudzs

I was in Newry this weekend and was astounded by the price of beer! Lidl had six 500ml (4.1%) cans of Carling for £4.49! But my mind got a bit boggled by the selection in Sainsburys and I couldn't decide what to get.

Will definately go up there again soon armed with a shopping list so wondering if any regular day-trippers to Newry could advise me on what is the best beer to buy?

It seems they're all good value but which beers are good quality? i.e. won't leave you with a hangover from hell after 5 cans!

Thanks!

bigears

It would be interesting to see a list of all the beers they carry - anyone live nearby or have you visited recently?

Hendrixcat

I was in Surrey last weekend visiting my family and I nearly spontaneously climaxed in the ale aisle of a Sainsbury's there. I say 'aisle' because that's what it was. I have never seen so may different bottles of ale in my life. I managed to take eight home with me, clinking all the way to the airport, and downed a few others while at a party. The prices were obscene. They were practically giving it away compared to Dublin prices. If there's a Sainsbury's in Newry I'll definitley be heading up there for a shopping spree.

sudzs

It's well worth the trip! Sainsburys is in the Quays shopping centre... on the right just before the river.

Just a word of advice though... if you can help it don't go on a Sunday afternoon... you won't get parking and it's not easy to get in the door with the hoards of "southeners" piling out with trollies stuffed with beer!!!

VISTA MAR

I was up in Belfast at the weekend and picked up 36 cans of Strongbow Cider for £20 in Sainsbury's. 440ml cans but still cheap. Just watch most cans in Republic are 500ml, most in North are 440ml. But prices still much cheaper overall.

If going on a Sunday, don't forget none of the shops open until 1:00pm.

sudzs

Well I had my five cans of Carling and very nice they were too! And no lethal headache hangover to report!

So I'll be heading back up North to buy lots more!!

But any other suggestions of what's a decent beer at a bargain price appreciated!

randomname2005

bigears wrote:

It would be interesting to see a list of all the beers they carry - anyone live nearby or have you visited recently?

Im also interested in taking a trip up and to get an idea of selection and stock I had a look at the sainsburys website,
http://www.sainsburystoyou.com/webconnect/index.jsp
and they have LOTS of selection and it seems reasonalby cheap, they have 750ml bottles of Hoegaarden (they have it as hoegaarden ale!) cheaper than I have seen 500ml bottles in Dublin.
R

oblivious

randomname2005 wrote:

they have 750ml bottles of Hoegaarden (they have it as hoegaarden ale!).
R

It is an ale! looks good. I am of to Donegal this weekend hope to make a beer stop in derry.

bigears

I doubt that complete list is available in Newry but I do hope I'm wrong. I notice Deuchar's IPA is on the list and I would make the trip for a case of that alone.

Ceddy

I was in Sainsburys in Newry about 2 months ago and picked up a few bottles from the Strangford Lough Brewery Company, Co Down. They are red ales and worth a taste.

V1llianous

I recently did my bi-annual trip as a real ale nut and would recommend the following:

Bitters:
Coniston Bluebird
Bombardier
Theakstons XB ( definate favourite )
6X
Marstons' Pedigree
Fullers ESB
Theakstons Old Peculiar

Ales:
Shepherd Neame's Autumn Red
" Spitfire
Fuller's London Pride
Badger First Gold

Light Ales:
Honeydew (really light crisp beer with a honey taste - more of a summer beer)

admiralofthefleet

i always go to curleys in newry, its opposite the aib (first trust) banklink beside dunnes and the prices are amazing, last week they were selling 12 bottles of blue wkd or breezer for 5.99, beer and wine are also very cheap

noby

That's a fine selection there, V1llianous.

bigears

Hi V1llianous,

Sounds like they have a decent selection.

Can you remember what you payed for these? For example the Fullers or Shepherd Neame? Just trying to do a comparison. London Pride is about €2.50 in Tesco and €2.80 in off licences. From what I can remember the ESB is at or over €3.

Ceddy

Bigears, I bought some Fuller's ESB about 3 weeks ago in Sainsburys and I it was £1.75 for the 500/550ml bottles.

randomname2005

V1llianous wrote:

Bombardier

Yum! Will be stocking up on this when I go up in a week or two!
As somebody who has never been to newry (and will probably head to the Quays shopping centre as its on the map) is curleys close to this?
Thanks
R

admiralofthefleet

randomname2005 wrote:

Yum! Will be stocking up on this when I go up in a week or two!
As somebody who has never been to newry (and will probably head to the Quays shopping centre as its on the map) is curleys close to this?
Thanks
R

yeah its in behind it

randomname2005

Cheers AdmiralGar

White Horse

Ceddy wrote:

Bigears, I bought some Fuller's ESB about 3 weeks ago in Sainsburys and I it was £1.75 for the 500/550ml bottles.

Each week they have different ales on special, roughly £1.20 to £1.30 per 500ml bottle. Last time I was there, Bombardier was going for £1.25 for a 568ml bottle. Great value.

V1llianous

bigears wrote:

Hi V1llianous,

Sounds like they have a decent selection.

Can you remember what you payed for these? For example the Fullers or Shepherd Neame? Just trying to do a comparison. London Pride is about €2.50 in Tesco and €2.80 in off licences. From what I can remember the ESB is at or over €3.

If I recall it worked out at about €2.70 - €2.80 a bottle this time, it all depends on the exchange rate on the day. As quoted above usually £1.70 - £1.75 a bottle, well worth it though.

BrendanT

Thank you so much V1llianous for you list of Bitters and Ales above as I am going to Newry soon and I will try some of those listed. Its people like you that make boards such a great site.

rugbyman

There is some form of disapproval on Boards against re opening old threads. This should attract some comment , 7 years, or is my computer on the blink

quinnp

I bought a mixed selection of ales in Sainsburys Newry last week. 3 for £5.

anonanymore

There's a big new Tesco Extra on the Downshire Road (follow signposts to Belfast from Newry centre).
Great value and you get your club points too.

upforit101

A few months ago My bro got 660ml bottles of Brewdog Punk IPA in Sainsburys Sprucefield.
Factoring in the exchange rate the price per ml is about 30% cheaper than down south.
Also to the best of my knowledge the 660 ml bottles aren't available down south

Calculations:

Bottle of O'briens Brewdog punk ipa in down south is €2.89 per 330ml = 0.87 cent per ml

http://www.obrienswine.ie/punk-ipa-33cl-btl.html?___SID=U

Bottle of sainsburys Brewdog punk ipa 660ml €3.54 = 0.53 cent per ml

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1386935573027

Today £2.99 sterling = €3.54
http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=2.99&From=GBP&To=EUR

- Roughly 30% cheaper per ml up North

upforit101

Also from the Sainsbury's website; their own brand 5.9% IPA is three 500ml bottles for €5.92.
I would like to try it!

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1386935573027

rubadub

sudzs wrote: »

I was in Newry this weekend and was astounded by the price of beer! Lidl had six 500ml (4.1%) cans of Carling for £4.49!

£4.49 is 5.32574 EUR on XE. But you never get this rate.

A couple of days ago my mastercard had sterling at 0.8115 this is from my credit card statement. So £4.49 is €5.53.

So 92.2cent per can. Cans of similar quality beers are easily got for €1 here.

Amstel is currently €1 a can in my local tesco, 4.3% so would be expected to cost a bit more than the 4.1% carling.

ciaran76

upforit101 wrote: »

Also from the Sainsbury's website; their own brand 5.9% IPA is three 500ml bottles for €5.92.
I would like to try it!

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1386935573027

I liked their own IPA 2 years ago not sure if it had changed.

Seaneh

Isn't the Tesco's Finest American IPA rebranded Hardcore too? Remember reading that somewhere?
Is that available in NI?

BeerNut

Used to be. I think it was discontinued altogether, though.

irish_goat

Not available in the north anyway. There is a Taste the Difference IPA made in the US but it's ok, same price as Punk, Sierra Nevada and Meantime but nowhere near as good.