Supporting craft breweries

L1011

The only two semi questionable ones are the ones part owned by larger European independent breweries - Rye River and O'Hara's. Wouldn't say either has the tap access or market share of even the fourth major (Molson Coors) yet.

Pen Rua

It is a real shame McCambridges in Galway were bought out by Musgrave. The beer selection used to be solid (with Galway Hooker, Black Donkey et al - stuff we don't get in Cork as much / at all), but now it's like any other Centra. Shelves of craft / international beer replaced with cans of Four Loko, buzz balls (really), and actual macro beers.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178635#Comment_122178635

Coors who own Fran Well which a lot of people would still call a craft beer.

BeerNut

Find me one.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178757#Comment_122178757

Those people will also call Cute Hoor or even Hop House craft.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178749#Comment_122178749

Ya the changeover has made a sh1te of a once great shop in every sense.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178882#Comment_122178882

I don't think that's fair to be honest.

Fran Well was independent for years and has an identity as a Cork brewery. People can actually point to the building it's brewed in. It's just some people don't keep up on behind the scenes beer news.

That's very different to Hop House that everyone knows is Guinness and Cute Hoor which is very ambiguous.

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178996#Comment_122178996

I found it tasted sharp and sour when I had it recently. Maybe it's because I've tried so many different beers over the years. Back in the day it was the only craft available.

BeerNut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178996#Comment_122178996

I wouldn't bet that people who aren't keeping up with the behind the scenes beer news knowing where it's brewed. It was on North Mall for a long time and the pub still has the Franciscan Well name on it years after they left.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179202#Comment_122179202

Well the new brewery is in a very prominent spot next to the incredibly busy Marina market so I would say more people know the new brewery site than the old. Or they might just think it's brewed in both or not care.

Either way it will be much more of a "local craft brewery" than Cute Hoor which nobody can pin info though other than "it's an IPA". It's like comparing Estrella Damm or Mahou to made up shte like Madri.

JoeLapira

There are 3 types of "craft" breweries in Ireland. Marco owned, heavily funded by macro/other parties and self funded. Support the self funded!

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178635#Comment_122178635

If Molson Coors are the fourth major, can I take it that C&C are the third?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179870#Comment_122179870

Without checking sales figures, that is who I would consider third yes. After Diageo and Heineken Ireland, and without checking I refuse to guess who is actually on top of those two - Diageo have the sales monster but Heineken have a bigger range and more aggressive sales tactics.

Its probably Diageo by a country mile regardless, having said that…

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179882#Comment_122179882

Surely Diageo have a bigger range than Heineken? 3/4 lagers generally available, a few variants of Rockshore, Guinness and Guinness 0.0, Smithwicks immediately come to mind in the on-trade. Lots more stuff for off sales.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122180311#Comment_122180311

Heineken have four widely available lagers - Heineken, Coors - MolsonCoors do not hold the licence to their own product here, Tiger, Moretti - that probably each outsell Diageo's lagers; they also do Fosters. Heineken 0 has pushed out nearly every other NA non-stout tap and a lot of bottle space too.

Orchard Thieves has made huge inroads in to what was basically Bulmers core market; Rockshore Cider has not.

Diageo's more niche products - Open Gate, Macardles, Satenzbrau - wouldn't add up to a huge amount; whereas Heineken have Cute Hoor and Lagunitas taps all over the place now.

But the volume of Guinness could drown out all of this regardless

Diageo of course have the spirits division with some massively popular stuff - Smirnoff, Baileys, Johnny Walker, Gordons, Captain Morgan - but I'm only looking at beer and cider comparisons as Heineken have nothing to compare!

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122180747#Comment_122180747

Ah right. Probably a city thing. Only Heineken, Coors and Moretti this neck of the woods. Any Heineken 0 taps were removed due to lack of interest. Orchard Thieves is around but Rockshore is a lot more popular.

Pen Rua

Boundary seems to have been a victim (or, made a decision based on) of the deposit return scheme. I don't think I've seen any of their new beers in Ireland for months. An off license near me had old stock (DRS logoless, but still charged me a deposit….)

Meanwhile Lacanda, who previously said that they would not supply ROI anymore due to DRS, have resurfaced (presumably leveraging their importer to do the DRS work).

youcancallmeal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122222237#Comment_122222237

I still see the Boundary core beers like Tropical Imbongo around but I think it's just the last of the logoless stock. Disappointing they're not engaging as I'm a big fan of their beers. It's strange because a few of the NI breweries have gotten on board with DRS like Bullhouse who are an even smaller operation that Boundary(I think)

TaurenDruid

I was in Underdog the other night. Over half the taps were from a British brewery, The Kernel. A new one to me. €8/pint for an average enough IPA was bad, but €8 for a 330ml glass of average enough, not particularly strong beers? That's just taking the piss! Hopefully it was a one-and-done deal!

BeerNut

They're a cult brewery and don't distribute out of Britain much. The owner never really wanted to sell his beer outside the M25. They change most of their recipes constantly and they package in bottles not cans, all of which appeals to the beer geek/home brewer market. They certainly drew their audience to UnderDog on Saturday afternoon.

I've never been a huge fan of their IPAs but their dark beers are superlative. It's a shame they didn't have more of those at UnderDog. The Export India Porter, which they did have, is one of the world's great beers, IMO.

L1011

There was a tap takeover

When those kegs are done, something else will be on. I think there's a Rye River/Vocation takeover shortly.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122223454#Comment_122223454

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122223517#Comment_122223517

One of the original super hipster London breweries. Owner is a bit of a dick so I never took to their stuff.

London scene is fuked from what I can see. Just spent days walking around to all the places I knew that used to have craft and they now only have the same few bought out or fake craft like Camden, Beavertown or Brixton. Just the same few lagers or session IPA over and over on the taps.

Fake "independent" food markets everywhere now too. All with the same few fake craft to try look "artisan"

BeerNut

Returning to normal, so 😉 London was a beer desert up until about 2010. I think the Craft Beer Co. are still doing a good job of bringing interesting and diverse beers to the London drinker. They're up to seven pubs now. I'm sad to hear that The White Horse in Parson's Green has downgraded its beer offer these days: that place was a proper hub for good beer during the lean years.

youcancallmeal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122222312#Comment_122222312

I was wrong about this, just picked up some Boundary Tropical Imbongo today in supervalu and it does indeed have a proper DR logo printed on the can, looks to be recently brewed as well. Maybe they're just selling this core beer in ROI but none of their prolific specials

toffeeshel

Did I read somewhere that an Irish brewery has produced a Mild? I’m googling like mad and can’t find anything

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233745#Comment_122233745

I've definitely had some in Limerick so either Crew or Treaty have at some stage.

toffeeshel

Found it. Four provinces do a mild

BeerNut

It's on tap more-or-less permanently at their pub in Kimmage. Mind you, they had none of their other beers on yesterday.

Ballykilcavan has also done a few brews of their dark mild, Endurance. They had it on cask at Bloom last weekend.

Hotblack Desiato

Was in Rascals today for a pizza and a couple of beers.

Wunderbar wasn't on the menu at all which got me wondering had it been discontinued, there was plenty of it in the off-licence fridge though.

Aaaaannnnndddd… they stock Football Special! Yes, I know it's not beer…

Pen Rua

Passed through Belfast and stopped at Boundary. Some of the specials do indeed have the DRS Re-Turn logo.