Real Ale on Tap in Ireland on a Sunny Summer Sunday.

LordSutch

n97 mini wrote: »

All those places are on excellent public transport and you have no excuse for laziness.

I have no idea what that means :rolleyes:

As I said in a previous post "I'd love a pint in Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Bray, or Dalkey" precisely because I can hop on a Bus or Dart, but there is still nothing available outside Dublin City centre, and even then the choice is severly limited, and that's my point!

n97 mini wrote: »

But... if you want it in your local, then you have to ask for it in your local, and ask repeatedly, until they get it in.

But I have been for ten years, alomst to the point of boring the staff to tears, and to be honest ulness there are other Ale heads 'like me' asking in all the southside pubs on a regular basis, then I am a lone voice in the wind.

To finish > I started this thread thinking (foolishly) that I would have some sympathy from like minded fellow Ale drinkers, but all I get in return is silly jibes and a very luke warm response from some.

Goodbye & goodluck, I'm off to the Queens in Dalkey for a pint of Heineken

n97 mini

LordSutch wrote: »

I have no idea what that means :rolleyes:

Simples. Stay on the DART to the city centre.

BeerNut

LordSutch wrote: »

but all I get in return is silly jibes and a very luke warm response from some.

Plus directions to some pubs where you can get what you're looking for. For which you're very welcome.

LordSutch wrote: »

Goodbye & goodluck, I'm off to the Queens in Dalkey for a pint of Heineken

Every pint you buy sends the message to the pub and the drinks industry that there's no need for anything different. If you were even drinking the IPA in the Queen's you'd be a step closer to having cask available. Heineken Ireland don't do cask beer; Carlow Brewing do.

Krusty_Clown

LordSutch wrote: »

I'd love a pint in Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Bray, or Dalkey, the City centre is too far to go

I know it doesn't exactly tick your boxes, but if you go to Hollands in Bray they have a number of really good beers/ales on draught (yes, I know, not cask), and you can also order anything that they have in their off-license at the bar (some 120+ beers, including numerous English ales (and yes, again, I know this is not the cask you are looking for).

Saruman

Funilly enough I have been in several pubs in England that do not serve cask ale, though like Irish pubs they might have an old decorative hand pump. Quite recently actually, One called The Eagle Tavern in Deal, Kent. I ended up with a bottle of Shepherd Neame Masterbrew.

LordSutch, make sure you get down to Cork for the next winter ales and Cask festival. I think it is on again this year in February. You should be able to drink all of the cask ale you can handle and maybe meet the odd CAMRA member while you are at it. There was at least one CAMRA member there last year (though that might have been Easterfest a couple of weeks later) and we had a great chat. Thankfully he was open to non cask beer as well so he was able to enjoy the few beers that were no on cask at the festival.

_blank_

BeerNut wrote: »

Bray has a pub owned by a brewery that makes cask beers, but it doesn't sell cask beer because it doesn't reckon there are customers for it.

The market that the Porterhouse in Bray has positioned itself in means they won't get the customers who'd be interested in craft beers, in my opinion. It's a disco bar. In fairness to them though, if you aren't blasting Black Eyed Peas at a thousand decibels in a pub in Bray after dark, you'll probably go out of business

Actually, although I enjoy their beers, I don't really ever enjoy a night out in the Porterhouse bars.

Bray, Central and North are disco bars, and I suspect that the majority of people drinking the bottled selection are doing so not because they enjoy the taste and difference in these beers, but because of the stronger alcohol content getting them pissed up quicker. Anyone drinking pints is doing so grudgingly, and drinking a "closest match" to their usual Bud, Heinieken or Guinness.

As for the Temple Bar one, it's uncomfortable and too small for amped up bands to be blasting cover versions.

I live close enough that their Phibsboro outlet could and should be my local, but when I head that direction I invariably end up over the road in The Brian Boru drinking pint bottles of guinness.

I much, much prefer The Hole in The Wall set up - good beer selection in their off licence which they'll let you drink in the pub, always something different on tap (they started off serving O'Hara's, but the last time I was there they had Belfast Blonde on tap), friendly staff who are happy to offer tastes of the guest beers before you buy, and excellent food, a turf fire and when they have live music on it's just at the right level to be able to listen to if you fancy it, or tune it out if you want to actually converse with your fellow revellers.

redalan

Des wrote: »

The market that the Porterhouse in Bray has positioned itself in means they won't get the customers who'd be interested in craft beers, in my opinion. It's a disco bar. In fairness to them though, if you aren't blasting Black Eyed Peas at a thousand decibels in a pub in Bray after dark, you'll probably go out of business

Actually, although I enjoy their beers, I don't really ever enjoy a night out in the Porterhouse bars.

Bray, Central and North are disco bars, and I suspect that the majority of people drinking the bottled selection are doing so not because they enjoy the taste and difference in these beers, but because of the stronger alcohol content getting them pissed up quicker. Anyone drinking pints is doing so grudgingly, and drinking a "closest match" to their usual Bud, Heinieken or Guinness.

As for the Temple Bar one, it's uncomfortable and too small for amped up bands to be blasting cover versions.

I live close enough that their Phibsboro outlet could and should be my local, but when I head that direction I invariably end up over the road in The Brian Boru drinking pint bottles of guinness.

I much, much prefer The Hole in The Wall set up - good beer selection in their off licence which they'll let you drink in the pub, always something different on tap (they started off serving O'Hara's, but the last time I was there they had Belfast Blonde on tap), friendly staff who are happy to offer tastes of the guest beers before you buy, and excellent food, a turf fire and when they have live music on it's just at the right level to be able to listen to if you fancy it, or tune it out if you want to actually converse with your fellow revellers.

That is good to know about the Hole in the Wall. Must try that.

Krusty_Clown

Des wrote: »

The market that the Porterhouse in Bray has positioned itself in means they won't get the customers who'd be interested in craft beers, in my opinion. It's a disco bar. In fairness to them though, if you aren't blasting Black Eyed Peas at a thousand decibels in a pub in Bray after dark, you'll probably go out of business

I find it quite disappointing that the original Porterhouse bar is the worst served, in terms of their craft beer offerings. On tap they rarely ever reach beyond their own products. Not entirely unexpected, but just a bit disappointing.

Thankfully Bray is well served by Hollands, which has managed to remain open despite the fact the they don't play the Black Eyed Peas at a thousand decibels (in fact, they could probably do with a little more noise!), which has a good selection of craft beers on tap (Belfast Blonde, O'Haras stout, 5am Saint, Galway Hooker, Cúrim (if I remember correctly), and more than 130 different bottled beers and ales can be ordered in the bar from the off-license.

_blank_

Don't know how I forgot Hollands, and I was just in there a couple of weeks ago.

Their beer menu is certainly impressive, but try asking for some of the bottled stuff...they don't have it

My "loud music" comment was more about Bray Seafront, than the town itself.

the beer revolu

Des wrote: »

Actually, although I enjoy their beers, I don't really ever enjoy a night out in the Porterhouse bars.

Bray, Central and North are disco bars, and I suspect that the majority of people drinking the bottled selection are doing so not because they enjoy the taste and difference in these beers, but because of the stronger alcohol content getting them pissed up quicker. Anyone drinking pints is doing so grudgingly, and drinking a "closest match" to their usual Bud, Heinieken or Guinness.


I live close enough that their Phibsboro outlet could and should be my local, but when I head that direction I invariably end up over the road in The Brian Boru drinking pint bottles of guinness.

I was staying within walking distance of Porterhouse North for a few weeks earlier in the year. While on previous visits I did find it very disco barish, this time I found that, midweek, they seem to cater more for the quiet drinker. One end of the bar seems to attract a few locals, the music is generally quieter (Tom Waits on one night), and they offer porterhouse beers at, iirc, €4 a pint including Brian Blasta! I also found their bread and dips extremely cheap and tasty, if a little salty for my taste. Oh, and a loyalty card - buy 9 pints - one free!! Alas, no cask.
Weekends are a different matter, though:eek:

Focalbhach

the beer revolu wrote: »

I was staying within walking distance of Porterhouse North for a few weeks earlier in the year. While on previous visits I did find it very disco barish, this time I found that, midweek, they seem to cater more for the quiet drinker. One end of the bar seems to attract a few locals, the music is generally quieter (Tom Waits on one night), and they offer porterhouse beers at, iirc, €4 a pint including Brian Blasta! I also found their bread and dips extremely cheap and tasty, if a little salty for my taste. Oh, and a loyalty card - buy 9 pints - one free!! Alas, no cask.
Weekends are a different matter, though:eek:

My biggest gripe with Porterhouse North is that they're forever advertising beers that they don't have - including their own brews (e.g. Hophead). Usually "what I'm picking from the taps" and "the taps that are actually connected to beer" sync up on about the third attempt...

ajmorno

Need quick answer anyone know where they have Helvick Gold on tap around O Connell street?

BaZmO*

ajmorno wrote: »

Need quick answer anyone know where they have Helvick Gold on tap around O Connell street?

You won't get it on tap unless it's on Cask, and even at that it's only available on Cask very occasionally in the likes of the Bull & Castle, L. Mulligans, Porterhouse, ATG, etc.

BeerNut

There's usually a Dungarvan beer on draught in The Palace on Fleet Street, but they're all rotated so there's about a one in three chance of it being Helvick at any given time.

ajmorno

Yep cask is what I'm looking for they had it in the Magpie (great pub) in Dalkey for awhile and was in Ardmore last weekend and again they had it on cask, best beer Ive had in a long time, might check the bull and castle now and I believe Davy Byrnes has it but I'm guessing it's bottled. Work you shall have to wait 'til Tuesday. TY for the response

faigs

BeerNut wrote: »

There's usually a Dungarvan beer on draught in The Palace on Fleet Street, but they're all rotated so there's about a one in three chance of it being Helvick at any given time.

I think they actually have the new Dungarvan IPA on tap today.

BaZmO*

BeerNut wrote: »

There's usually a Dungarvan beer on draught in The Palace on Fleet Street, but they're all rotated so there's about a one in three chance of it being Helvick at any given time.

Really? I thought they didn't do draught other than Cask?

BaZmO*

faigs wrote: »

I think they actually have the new Dungarvan IPA on tap today.

Yep! From Twitter "Mahon Falls now in Dungarvan, also delivering today to The Palace in Dublin RT: @MerrysGastroPub: First pint sold"

BeerNut

BaZmO* wrote: »

Really?

Really.

BaZmO* wrote: »

I thought they didn't do draught other than Cask?

That's right, they don't.

BeerNut

faigs wrote: »

I think they actually have the new Dungarvan IPA on tap today.

BaZmO* wrote: »

Yep! From Twitter "Mahon Falls now in Dungarvan, also delivering today to The Palace in Dublin RT: @MerrysGastroPub: First pint sold"

If it's only delivered today it's not likely to be served today.

BaZmO*

Beernut, you're confusing the hell out of me!

BeerNut

BaZmO* wrote: »

Beernut, you're confusing the hell out of me!

Is there some reason you think it's impossible for The Palace to be serving Dungarvan beer from the cask?

Speak Now

Looking forward to trying it

BaZmO*

BeerNut wrote: »

Is there some reason you think it's impossible for The Palace to be serving Dungarvan beer from the cask?

No. Read back the conversation

BeerNut

I said: "There's usually a Dungarvan beer on draught in The Palace on Fleet Street, but they're all rotated so there's about a one in three chance of it being Helvick at any given time."

And your reply was:"Really? I thought they didn't do draught other than Cask?"

Which is a non-sequitur. What did I say that prompted your question?

Ravelleman

BeerNut wrote: »

I said: "There's usually a Dungarvan beer on draught in The Palace on Fleet Street, but they're all rotated so there's about a one in three chance of it being Helvick at any given time."

And your reply was:"Really? I thought they didn't do draught other than Cask?"

Which is a non-sequitur. What did I say that prompted your question?

I believe the distinction is meant to be between a draught beer - presumably using gas propellant - and a cask beer - using a hand pump.

If you accept this distinction, then you are speaking of a non-cask version of the beer, which doesn´t seem to exist.

BaZmO*

Ravelleman wrote: »

I believe the distinction is meant to be between a draught beer - presumably using gas propellant - and a cask beer - using a hand pump.

If you accept this distinction, then you are speaking of a non-cask version of the beer, which doesn´t seem to exist.

This!

And Beernut's comment about the new beer not being on sale, when my Twitter post showed it was.

It's been a long day!

Saruman

Draft or draught is not the same as keg/cask.

Draught beer is anything that is stored in bulk and comes from a tap. Keg or cask makes no difference. I think it's one reason CAMRA coined the term "real ale", to differentiated cask ale to filtered/pasteurised kegged beer.

BeerNut

Ravelleman wrote: »

I believe the distinction is meant to be between a draught beer - presumably using gas propellant - and a cask beer - using a hand pump.

If you accept this distinction, then you are speaking of a non-cask version of the beer, which doesn´t seem to exist.

Ahh. OK. No, I don't accept the distinction: cask is draught. In fact, since keg beer is propelled rather than drawn, it has less of a claim on the term "draught" than cask beer.

Sorry for the confusion. But once again: keg and cask* are both methods of dispense for draught beer.
*and polypin and tankova and keykeg and straight from the bright tanks...

BaZmO*

Technically there may not be a difference, but the fact that everybody generally makes the distinction would suggest that there is. Not a big deal really, probably similar to the age old Stout/Porter debate in that all stouts are porters but not all porters are stout. So all tap beers are draught, but not all draught beers are cask.

You still confused me about the Dungarvan Beer though!