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Why has craft beer and cask Ale not taken off in Irish pubs?

lufties

Hi, just an observation. Ireland has some fantastic micro brewers, solas being my favourite currently. However, I never see them in Irish pubs outside Dublin. I've visited a few pubs recently in Tipp and Clare, they all serve the same mass produced rubbish.
I live in Yorkshire, and every pub serves different ales ranging from 3.5% upwards. It's a shame it doesn't take off in Ireland as I'm sick of returning home to the same old Guinness, Heineken etc.

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RasTa

After leaving I have come to the conclusion that Ireland is the worst place to drink in the 1st world.

Look at the states scene for local stuff, NZ. Germany, UK, Belgian, Dutch, Polish etc.

We are simply not good enough when it comes to beer choices, where and when we can drink.

However some of our pubs are the best in the world

laros

Was that MC gargles not made by one of the the big breweries?

The McGargles range is brewed by Rye River brewing in kildare

https://ryeriverbrewingco.com/

Phileas Frog

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I live down the road from Ennis, McHugh's pub has nine varieties of Western Herd (a local craft brewary in Kilmaley) on tap. The Diageo/Heineken stranglehold is far from absolute. From my perspective, things have opened up in the last decade.

Western Herd own McHughs (and Flanagan's in Lahinch) by the way

Gloomtastic!

RasTa wrote: »

After leaving I have come to the conclusion that Ireland is the worst place to drink in the 1st world.

Look at the states scene for local stuff, NZ. Germany, UK, Belgian, Dutch, Polish etc.

We are simply not good enough when it comes to beer choices, where and when we can drink.

However some of our pubs are the best in the world

I remember the day you’d go into a bar and have a choice of draught Guinness, Smithwicks or Harp. You could also have bottles of the same with the added choice of McArdles.

When they installed a Carlsberg tap we thought the world was at our feet!

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

laros wrote: »

The McGargles range is brewed by Rye River brewing in kildare

https://ryeriverbrewingco.com/

It wasn’t anything amazing but infinitely better than Budweiser.

laros

It wasn’t anything amazing but infinitely better than Budweiser.

To be honest.... anything is better than Budweiser... :P you should try some of the Rye River specials. they have brought out some lovely beers in that range.

listermint

2 things to note.

I've yet to locate a cask ale in an English pub that I liked.

And I've yet to locate a barperson serving in a UK pub that would remotely get a job in Ireland.

Also I agree that Diageo and Heineken actively squeeze out competition all over the country deep pockets.

But also our micro breweries do themselves no favours. Many times I've picked up an article about a limited run only to take to the breweries twitter page to ask where I can pick up some and they don't respond whatsoever. They've no grasp on customer service or their distribution

salmocab

laros wrote: »

The McGargles range is brewed by Rye River brewing in kildare

https://ryeriverbrewingco.com/

Cheers someone else already put me straight on that one.

RasTa

listermint wrote: »

2 things to note.

I've yet to locate a cask ale in an English pub that I liked.

And I've yet to locate a barperson serving in a UK pub that would remotely get a job in Ireland.

Where do you live?

Agree on second point, as I calmly stand there and watch them serve the two people in front of me one drink each.

biko

Maybe it's because I'm in Galway city, but every pub has craft beer and a hairy hipster behind the bar to tell you all about it.
Go to the Salt House and it's like a lumberjack convention in there...

Bassfish

I have to go to England regularly and I've come to loathe English pubs. It's seems more an more of them are actually trying to emulate the Wetherspoons model rather than moving away from it. Bar staff are clueless, may as well be working in Greggs. Usually get served by some 18 year old girl who doesn't know an ale from a bacardi breeze. Fruit machines, a 50 inch TV every five feet, no beer mats and more and more of them are employing a Starbucks/Argos model of service where you pay at a till and collect the drink at the end of the bar.
I'm sure there's plenty of quaint proper old style pubs when you get out of the main urban centres but the urban pubs are the pits. I'd take a decent pint of Guinness in an Irish pub any day of the week over a warm flat microbrewed cask in one of those places!

[Deleted User]

Insect Overlord wrote: »

A younger me and my brother were chatting with one of our uncles, many years ago now, and the uncle let us in on a secret.

A lot of grownups don't really enjoy drinking all that much. More specifically, they don't really enjoy what they drink. They love the session, and they drink whatever offends them the least while they get drunk. Many drinkers go for quantity over quality and then brag about how many pints and shots they had afterwards. Booze is just the means to an end.

If you're not taking the time to enjoy the flavour of a beer, you're not going to experiment with new options and pay a little bit extra for the pleasure.

Yeah that would be me to some extent.. a good beer for me is one that doesn't turn my stomach when I get down to the last quarter of it (which all the standard Dutch/Danish/American muck does), or gives me a ferocious headache the next day. Can't stand IPA s either I'm afraid to say. I'm lucky to live in Austria where there's always a decent selection of blonde beers from here and the Czech that are grand

arccosh

Bassfish wrote: »

I have to go to England regularly and I've come to loathe English pubs. It's seems more an more of them are actually trying to emulate the Wetherspoons model rather than moving away from it. Bar staff are clueless, may as well be working in Greggs. Usually get served by some 18 year old girl who doesn't know an ale from a bacardi breeze. Fruit machines, a 50 inch TV every five feet, no beer mats and more and more of them are employing a Starbucks/Argos model of service where you pay at a till and collect the drink at the end of the bar.
I'm sure there's plenty of quaint proper old style pubs when you get out of the main urban centres but the urban pubs are the pits. I'd take a decent pint of Guinness in an Irish pub any day of the week over a warm flat microbrewed cask in one of those places!

RasTa wrote: »

Where do you live?

Agree on second point, as I calmly stand there and watch them serve the two people in front of me one drink each.

listermint wrote: »

2 things to note.

I've yet to locate a cask ale in an English pub that I liked.

And I've yet to locate a barperson serving in a UK pub that would remotely get a job in Ireland.

All of the above.... really puts me off going to the pub in England

[Deleted User]

Honesty I’d say it’s a combination of people liking what they’re familiar with, many craft beers being overpriced and the superior/wankery attitude of many craft “enthusiasts” perhaps being off putting to some.

biko

People tend to forget many craft beers taste like ****.
Whereas Guinness or Carlsberg is almost always a good pint.

arccosh

Batrachotox wrote: »

Honesty I’d say it’s a combination of people liking what they’re familiar with, many craft beers being overpriced and the superior/wankery attitude of many craft “enthusiasts” perhaps being off putting to some.

I like the idea of it in England, where you go in, have a little try for free and pick one you like, no dramas...

It's just they're usually lukewarm ****e, in pubs with zero craic full of dudes who'll be on there arse after 3 pints waffling to you about the commonwealth

I think in Ireland it's a completely different attitude to things, if you're passionate about something new, it's generally looked at with skeptisism, so it'll take some time to break down that "it's full of wankery" stance... but it also doesn't help that usually the first people to flock to trendy new things in Ireland are the "I'm doing it to be different, you're a sheep" **** :-D so it's catch 22.

Plus some prices are extortionate... the likes of the Porterhouse do OK with it as it's probably cheaper to mass brew own brands and suppliment them with popular brands, but still charge the same extortionate prices across the board to cover the costs of where they are located.

But if I'm in town, and even if I'm feeling adventurous to try something new, if it's and extra euro or 2 per pint over a Heineken or something, I'll stick with them.

RasTa

biko wrote: »

People tend to forget many craft beers taste like ****.
Whereas Guinness or Carlsberg is almost always a good pint.

That's rubbish in fairness.

L1011

biko wrote: »

People tend to forget many craft beers taste like ****.
Whereas Guinness or Carlsberg is almost always a good pint.

Carlsberg probably has the absolute worst tolerance of any beer sold widely for sitting in slow moving lines. If it hasn't been moving it'll be vile.

grindle

RasTa wrote: »

That's rubbish in fairness.

The Carlsberg bit is. Guinness is like stout-water. Inoffensive and refreshing in it's own way, good for a long session.
Maybe they meant "consistent" rather than "good pint", I can't imagine what positives anybody gets from a pint of Carlsberg. It's kinda foamy if you like foam I guess?

biko

L1011 wrote: »

Carlsberg probably has the absolute worst tolerance of any beer sold widely for sitting in slow moving lines. If it hasn't been moving it'll be vile.

I never had a an iffy pint of Carlsberg so can't judge that.

RasTa

biko wrote: »

I never had a an iffy pint of Carlsberg so can't judge that.

It's Carlsberg, it's all iffy. They even admitted it themselves.

biko

Carlsberg UK is trying to sell a new beer to sell to the craft beer crowd, and it's working.

And sure, why not. Try something new.
Just don't pretend to do it because "honesty" it's all about the dosh.

mdmix

ted1 wrote: »

It’s the squeeze Diageo/guiness have on pubs.

3 or 4 years ago most pubs in limerick, Clare or Tipp would have 1 or 2 taps of craft, in the last 2 years any pub that isint specifically a craft beer pub has replaced local beers with some Diageo "open gate" piss.

RasTa

biko wrote: »

Carlsberg UK is trying to sell a new beer to sell to the craft beer crowd, and it's working.

And sure, why not. Try something new.
Just don't pretend to do it because "honesty" it's all about the dosh.

No they are not. Nobody who is into their craft is going to go "ah yeah I'll drink Carlsberg's new one now"

Sales in the UK are down a lot to the other big boys hence this marketing push. The even upped the price

https://www.marketingweek.com/carlsberg-overhauls-brand-and-beer/

cython

biko wrote: »

Maybe it's because I'm in Galway city, but every pub has craft beer and a hairy hipster behind the bar to tell you all about it.
Go to the Salt House and it's like a lumberjack convention in there...

In fairness, the Salt House is owned and operated by GBB, so of all places it (along with Oslo) would be full of lesser known options. That said though, Galway had other options like Bierhaus going back years so probably to be expected that other bars would see a market for them to stock a decent range.

Lewis_Benson

arccosh wrote: »

genuine question....

I love nothing more than a cold pint... but any of these ales/home brews are lukewarm... I've found a blonde before which was chilled but it wasn't great....

What are my options? I just usually grab Bierra Moreti or Peroni instead

Lukewarm??

Where did you get a cask ale served like that?

They should be cellar chilled, not refrigerated now, but just cold enough.

Lewis_Benson

biko wrote: »

Maybe it's because I'm in Galway city, but every pub has craft beer and a hairy hipster behind the bar to tell you all about it.
Go to the Salt House and it's like a lumberjack convention in there...

One of my favourite pubs.

L1011

Lewis_Benson wrote: »

Lukewarm??

Where did you get a cask ale served like that?

They should be cellar chilled, not refrigerated now, but just cold enough.

People who are used to super chilled lagers / adjunct lagers will find cellar temperature to be "lukewarm" in comparison. Perception rather than what the temperature reading will say!

Lewis_Benson

L1011 wrote: »

People who are used to super chilled lagers / adjunct lagers will find cellar temperature to be "lukewarm" in comparison. Perception rather than what the temperature reading will say!

This is true
One of my locals has their guinness cold to the point you get brain freeze from it.
They have another tap which pours at chiller temp, the difference when drinking is vast.

the beer revolu

Lewis_Benson wrote: »

Lukewarm??

Where did you get a cask ale served like that?

They should be cellar chilled, not refrigerated now, but just cold enough.

That poster didn't mention cask ale.
Seems to think that all ale/craft beer/homebrew?? is served lukewarm.