Looking to try something new suggestions please.

skinnyboy

Hello people,
Im looking to try something new to drink,im currently a heineken drinker and have never really ventured past drinking this,the last while ive got very bored of it and have had enough after a couple of pints,im looking to try some craft beers,but having tried ale when i was younger and bein put off i never ventured back,what would you people recomend for me to start at?
Thanks in advance

minidazzler

It depends where you're based really as advice can be given a lot easier if we know where you have access to.

But for the stuff Tesco should have, if I was you I'd go for O' Hara's Irish Red. Usually you'll pick it up for 1.85 a bottle in Tesco. It's a very easy red ale to drink after the first half bottle. It's a simple drink, nothing too fancy, but a good starting point that will let you know that not all craft beer is gonna be bitter as fook.

If you have a Porterhouse near by go in for a day session sometime, ask them to recommend something when they aren't busy. (never do it when they are, that's mean on the poor bartender who has 2 dozen customers dying for a drink )

dobman88

I'm in the same boat as the OP, I'm 25 and tired of drinking bud, miller, coors etc. so looking to try different beers. Nothing too strong, something light and tasty. Will try O'Haras as suggested above and heard IPA is supposed to be good?? In Killarney if that helps

poitinstill

as far as i know in killarny there aint much in the pubs yet. That should change soon with mountainman brewing up and running and 9whitedeer breweries getting up to speed in the next few weeks. Maybe try a selection form supermarket/good offie. Smithwiks pale ale is a small step up the ladder but you'd be better off get one of each from the 8degree's range and the porterhouse range if you see them. * 8degrees especially have a pils (lager) red ale , pale ale, 2 ipa's , stout, all top notch.

skinnyboy

minidazzler wrote: »

It depends where you're based really as advice can be given a lot easier if we know where you have access to.

But for the stuff Tesco should have, if I was you I'd go for O' Hara's Irish Red. Usually you'll pick it up for 1.85 a bottle in Tesco. It's a very easy red ale to drink after the first half bottle. It's a simple drink, nothing too fancy, but a good starting point that will let you know that not all craft beer is gonna be bitter as fook.

If you have a Porterhouse near by go in for a day session sometime, ask them to recommend something when they aren't busy. (never do it when they are, that's mean on the poor bartender who has 2 dozen customers dying for a drink )

Im based in waterford and i know a couple of places stock a great selection,but im kind of hoping of getting some in the offie to try over the weekend,thanks for the suggestions already,somebody told me to try galway hooker pale ale also?

Ravelleman

Even Brooklyn Lager could be a nice beer to branch out into. I'm not really a lager drinker but I really enjoy it - lots of hop but with a familiar bite. From there you could make your way on to more 'hop-forward' pale ales and the like. Don't worry if you weren't a fan of 'ale' before - it's an enormous category so there really should be something for everyone.

Ravelleman

skinnyboy wrote: »

somebody told me to try galway hooker pale ale also?

This is an established classic of Irish craft beers. Maybe a little pricey in bottles compared to O'Hara's, which is often available in special offers in Tesco and Dunnes, but still great.

O'Hara's do a rebadge for Aldi called O'Shea's, which are nice and cheap, if you have one near you.

skinnyboy

Ravelleman wrote: »

Even Brooklyn Lager could be a nice beer to branch out into. I'm not really a lager drinker but I really enjoy it - lots of hop but with a familiar bite. From there you could make your way on to more 'hop-forward' pale ales and the like. Don't worry if you weren't a fan of 'ale' before - it's an enormous category so there really should be something for everyone.

Thank you never heard of brooklyn lager,must have a look into it.

MonstaMash

BrewDog Dead Pony Club would be a nice one to introduce yourself to craft beers...

http://www.brewdog.com/beer/dead-pony-club

skinnyboy

Ravelleman wrote: »

Even Brooklyn Lager could be a nice beer to branch out into. I'm not really a lager drinker but I really enjoy it - lots of hop but with a familiar bite. From there you could make your way on to more 'hop-forward' pale ales and the like. Don't worry if you weren't a fan of 'ale' before - it's an enormous category so there really should be something for everyone.

Thank you never heard of brooklyn lager,must have a look into it.

Turpentine

If you want to start off within the lager range, Brooklyn Lager would probably be a good place to start alright. Might be worth trying a Pilsner Urquell (the big daddy of pilsners), Rothaus Pils or Flensburger Pils as they'd be similar (but, subjectively of course, much nicer) to what you'd be used to.

If you want to get into pale ales I'd suggest maybe a Wychwood Scarecrow or a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The Sierra Nevada especially will give you an introduction to hop flavour without being too full-on. 8 Degrees Howling Gale Ale could be another one.

I wouldn't just jump straight from Heineken to IPA's, the hop shock might be a bit too much at first. Maybe Fuller's IPA might be a good one to start with though, it's got much milder hop profile than many other IPA's.

If you find yourself liking hops give the Brewdog range (Punk, Dead Pony Club etc) a go, as well as some of the American IPA's.