Beer Festival

MANUTD99

So I was watching this Oz and Hugh show on BBC2.

They were at this massive beer festival/exhibition with over 300 kegs of different beers in Manchester.

Do we have anything like this here in Ireland coming up?

BeerNut

Not really on that scale, but we have a busy festival calendar. Franciscan Well have a winter and cask ale festival in February, and a general Irish beer one on Easter Saturday and Sunday. Oslo in Galway will likely be doing Brewers on the Bay again in May; Hilden have their annual festival in late August. Last year the independent breweries ran one in the Curragh in September and then there's CAMRA NI's Belfast festival in November. Deveney's Dundrum also ran two bottled beer festivals in Dublin, in February and August.

Watch this board and the events calendar on Beoir.

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

Not really on that scale, but we have a busy festival calendar. Franciscan Well have a winter and cask ale festival in February, and a general Irish beer one on Easter Saturday and Sunday. Oslo in Galway will likely be doing Brewers on the Bay again in May; Hilden have their annual festival in late August. Last year the independent breweries ran one in the Curragh in September and then there's CAMRA NI's Belfast festival in November. Deveney's Dundrum also ran two bottled beer festivals in Dublin, in February and August.

Watch this board and the events calendar on Beoir.

Brilliant, thanks beernut! a really good website

If there was a festival in UK you could suggest coming up in the near future? Thinking maybe a little trip over there might be in order!!

MANUTD99

Franciscan Well have a winter and cask ale festival in February,

Could you give us a little more info on this please Beernut.

I think I might go down to Cork that weekend have have a look if you suggest its a good event.

BeerNut

It's the first time they've done this, but the 'Well generally put on a good show.

Here's the poster:


I'm told that all the Irish micros have been invited to send casks down though I don't know exactly what there'll be or how they'll work it.

noby

BeerNut wrote: »

I'm told that all the Irish micros have been invited to send casks down though I don't know exactly what there'll be or how they'll work it.

It'll differ from the Easterfest in so far as there won' be individual brewery bars - the Well will run the whole lot. AFAIK there will be a full cask bar out in the beer garden.

BeerNut

And are you sending beer?

Given the format, I guess there'll be a fair bit of rotation: not all the beers will be on all three days.

noby

BeerNut wrote: »

And are you sending beer?

Yep. Hoping to get there myself too.

Bigcheeze

Pretty impressive that there are enough Irish Micros these days to sustain a cask ale festival.

BeerNut

They all make cask, and love making cask (it's easy!). What's really great is that there are enough Irish drinkers to drain them

MANUTD99

Well I've booked the Friday off work and booked a hotel for the weekend so I will check this out..

Anything I should look out for. Rumour has it there is a new beer from Tipp coming soon? Any word on this?

noby

MANUTD99 wrote: »

Anything I should look out for. Rumour has it there is a new beer from Tipp coming soon? Any word on this?

The way this was pitched to the breweries, they were actively encouraged to bring seasonal/winter beers, or new/one-off beers, I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of new beers there.

BeerNut

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't something new and interesting from White Gypsy. A new blend of the barrel-aged imperial stout would go well.

I hope to make it along on the Saturday.

BeerNut

Just got the preliminary beer list from Franciscan Well. The White Gypsy Imperial Stout will indeed feature. New beers from Dungarvan and Beoir Chorca Duibhne too, by the looks of things:

WHITE GYPSY: EMERALD PALE ALE ( CASK )
WHITE GYPSY: JUL ÓL ( KEG )
WHITE GYPSY: WINTER WARMER ( CASK )
WHITE GYPSY: RAVEN VINTAGE STOUT ( CASK )

PORTERHOUSE: TSB ( CASK )

CARLOW BREWING CO.: IPA ( KEG )
CARLOW BREWING CO.: STOUT ( CASK )

BEOIR CHORCA DUIBHNE: CARRIG DUBH ( CASK )

DUNGARVAN: COFFEE & OATMEAL STOUT ( CASK )
DUNGARVAN: COPPER COAST ( CASK )

MESSRS. MAGUIRE: NUT BROWN ALE ( CASK )
MESSRS. MAGUIRE: AMERICAN PALE ALE ( CASK )

BARRELHEAD: PALE ALE ( CASK )

FRANCISCAN WELL: PHÚCA SPICED ALE ( KEG )
FRANCISCAN WELL: 3 KINGS SMOKED ALE ( KEG )
FRANCISCAN WELL: PURGATORY PALE ALE ( CASK )
FRANCISCAN WELL: REBEL RED ( CASK )

drunkmonkey

BeerNut wrote: »

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't something new and interesting from White Gypsy

If it's what i've tried it should be called Black Out, you need to take it easy with new Gypsy as i've learned.

MANUTD99

Whats your recommendations from your list beernut?

BeerNut

Raven is spectacular. Purgatory is usually very good on cask, likewise the Barrelhead Pale Ale.

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

Raven is spectacular. Purgatory is usually very good on cask, likewise the Barrelhead Pale Ale.

Noted!!!

I have to say I'm looking forward to this.

the beer revolu

Damn, looking at my diary, I'm away all that weekend.
Pesky work!!!:mad::mad:

BeerNut

Just heard that Hilden's Cathedral Quarter will also be there on cask. Which is good news.

Dermo

I'm probably heading down to this with some friends but I've never been to the Franciscan Well before.

I'm not usually a fan of tv's in pubs but it's 6 nations time. Is there any tv there or is there a close enough bar I could run off to, to watch the games?

BeerNut

There's a TV.

AkiThePirate

I've been planning a trip to Cork soon, so that's sealed the deal.

Looking forward to trying Carraig Dubh again. From what I remember it was quite an interesting ale.

BeerNut

I think it's new. Cúl Dorcha was the last one.

AkiThePirate

It may be quite new, but I did have some over Christmas while I was playing a gig at Tigh Bhric. I remember it being quite good, but I'd had my share of Bushmills 10YO and Duvel before it, so I'd like to make sure it's as good as I remember.

MANUTD99

Do you think it will be possible to buy some special beers for take away.

I'd like to bring some back up to Dublin when I'm going home

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

Do you think it will be possible to buy some special beers for take away.

It's all draught, so bring a flask

There's a very good bottle selection in the Bierhaus and Abbot's, though nothing that isn't readily available in Dublin.

MANUTD99

The White Gypsy Stout and Pale Ale were the highlights for me. Really enjoyable beers.

Did anybody else manage to get a few pints in?

Saruman

Yup

MANUTD99

oh and the highlight of my first trip The Well was a Cork skanger asking the barman which craft beer was the closest to Bud!!! classic!!!

Saruman

Classic

My wife's cousin was kicked out of the Toronado bar in San Francisco after he asked (for the laugh while drunk) for a Rolling Rock

Technically he was barred but they let him back in.

Knifey Spoony

Went in on Friday night. Have to say that Raven was the highlight of the night, followed by Emerald Ale. Really great stuff. Was disappointed that they ran out of most of the what they had around 11 and that the Messers plae ale was frozen for the night. Only got a taste of a few ales that I wanted to have more off, but alas they were gone before I knew it. I though the Portherhouse Celebration Stout was disappointing as well, well compared to Raven.

MANUTD99

Emerald Ale

Was this the name of the Pale Ale from White Gypsy? If so then yes it was a really nice beer. I had 2 pints of this one.

On another note, is the products from White Gypsy available anywhere. The raven stout was really nice. Quite strong so one must be careful. Such a hangover this morning!

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

is the products from White Gypsy available anywhere.

The best place to get them in Dublin is Messrs Maguire. Emerald is on cask in the downstairs bar there at the moment. It's also on keg at Porterhouse Temple Bar (or was very recently anyway) though the keg version isn't as good.

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

Emerald is on cask in the downstairs bar there at the moment. .

Is it back on, was off the saturdays ago?

BeerNut

It's been a while since I was in. It could be off again.

Hondo75

The biggest of them all in earls court ..maybe this year for me.
http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/home

BeerNut

Hondo75 wrote: »

The biggest of them all in earls court

I'm fairly sure the GABF is quite a bit bigger.

GBBF is brilliant, though. Go during the week if you can.

redlead

When is the next festival in Dublin? I know against the grain have a Blue Moon night on Friday.

Also apart from the way it pours, what's the technical deifference between a cask and a keg? Is it just that a cask is made from wood and so the beer matures differently or is it something else?

BeerNut

redlead wrote: »

When is the next festival in Dublin?

The next biggie will be the Porterhouse's Irish Beer & Whiskey festival, next month, I think.

redlead wrote: »

what's the technical deifference between a cask and a keg? Is it just that a cask is made from wood and so the beer matures differently or is it something else?

Casks are normally made from steel. The beer inside has live yeast still present so the carbonation is entirely natural and no gas is applied to serve it. Keg beer is served using pressurised gas from an external cylinder. The vast majority of keg beers are filtered and pasteurised to get rid of anything living in it.

redlead

Cheers Beernut.

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the porterhouse festival. I'm big into my whiskey but am starting to get into the craft beers too (have a nice bottle of copper coast waiting at home for me with my name all over it! :-).

BeerNut

A reminder that this is coming up at Easter:


Should have a beer/brewery list soon.

The following week is Brewers on the Bay in Galway.

Oh, and I did a run-down of all our festivals here.

BeerNut

And here's the programme for the Franciscan Well this weekend. 38 different beers from 13 Irish craft breweries (plus the 'Well's own range), with quite a few specials and rarities.