why is kilkenny so popular in irish pubs abroad compared to smithwicks?

vafankillar

been wondering this for a while. is it supply & demand or did diego or whoever just make the decision to push kilkenny.

it does seem like being more similar to guinness & having a more irish name would help in that market anyway

AlmightyCushion

The 'w' confuses the foreigners

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151862#Comment_122151862

I've heard that for over 30 years.

Is it true?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151873#Comment_122151873

Its not going to be the entirety of the reason - (there's plenty of claims that it is the reason, but no soures - why Kilkenny is sold abroad instead; but unless you're Irish, you're going to pronounce it Smith-Wicks at best.

There are places that sell Kilkenny in Ireland too.

dublingreen

Kilkenny is a nicer drink IMO, nice creamy head.

vafankillar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151939#Comment_122151939

i feel like if guinness is you're drink of choice, you'd prefer kilkenny, but if you like red ale (and dont like guinness, like myself) it doesn't hit the spot.

most tourists here i've introduced smithwicks to have enjoyed it.

i've heard the w thing too, also heard in germany it was cos its close to the verb to **** (wichsen). but there's prodcuts sold & successfull all over the world with much more difficult pronunciations, and as stated above, most cases it just means being said with the w, which isn't really a big deal.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058352098/why-is-kilkenny-so-popular-in-irish-pubs-abroad-compared-to-smithwicks

Ive ordered Kilkenny abroad and what I was served was more like Smithwicks. It wasnt Nitro or creamy.

I prefer Kilkenny :)

Mulligans Poolbeg have proper Kilkenny if someone wants to do a taste test.

Dave_D_Rave

Tastes different abroad I found.

Killkenny was popular in Australia and was nice creamy with a slight fizz to it really refreshing.

Came back here and went to killkenny one night hight anticipating some decent draught and found it was rank.

Barman offers me smithwicjs instead 🤣

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058352098/why-is-kilkenny-so-popular-in-irish-pubs-abroad-compared-to-smithwicks

Kilkenny is smithwicks outside of Ireland

Got a pint of it in Dublin last year, was absolutely lovely stuff, Could drink it all day.

Unfortunately very hard find round my parts, Cans just aren’t the same

Kingslayer

Is smithwicks making a comeback here? A lot of places seemed to stop selling it but the taps are reappearing this last few years.

Smithwicks is an insipid red beer. It would have to be a very last resort before I would touch it. Kilkenny has more alcohol so more body - quite drinkable.

McArdle's is a better beer than smithwicks if you can find it.

There are plenty of good Red Ales from craft brewers now, can't be below 4.5 for it to be drinkable though.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152259#Comment_122152259

For 1 or 2 drinks yes there are much better options out there. However, the likes of Smithwicks has its place and is a good option for a long session when a large volume will be drank. The lower alcohol beers are better for that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152268#Comment_122152268

A session beer is indeed a dying breed which is a real shame really, but a real pale ale would be a better choice for my pallet - I need some bite so if it ain't coming from the alcohol it has to come from the hops.

In England Bitter would be the style for a session beer, but even that is been displaced by strong IPAs.

Very easy to get hammered on Kilkenny which is why I tend to avoid it.

vafankillar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152199#Comment_122152199

i've noticed it's lost more taps than gaining. lot of the gastro pubs/hipster joints dont have it, and some lounges have got rid of it cos of the increase in demand for the italian/spanish beers

do enjoy mcardles, or o'haras red if i can find them too. tried some red ale craft beer in one of the places in town but it was more like kilkenny & wasn't a fan.

vafankillar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152178#Comment_122152178

doesn't look like a smithwicks to me

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153093#Comment_122153093

Kilkenny is definitely not Smithwick's outside of Ireland! The only thing they have in common is they're both technically red ales, but are very different flavour profiles aside from that.

I actually love a pint of Smithwicks every now and then, my only problem with it, is it seems to be a very temperamental drink and a bad pint of it is almost undrinkable. And unfortunately you will get a bad pint more often than not in the majority of places. I've family that live in Laois and anytime I'm down around there ill always drink it and it's always crispy, refreshing and will comfortable hold its head to the bottom of the glass.

Whereas where I live in Galway, its not popular in any of the pubs in my village or neighbouring villages, and anytime I've chanced it, I've always been disappointed.

harmless

As a nitrogen beer perhaps they are worried about it eating into Guinness sales here while in different countries it could be competing with products not produced by Diageo.

elperello

Kilkenny is certainly a more marketable brand name.

Associations with an attractive medieval city, cosy old pubs, the castle the river etc.

jt69er

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152259#Comment_122152259

In your opinion.