Is beer in Ireland bad?

NiceFella · 30-07-2018 3:12pm #1

Hi all,

Is it just me or is beer brewed in this country terrible? I'm not talking about domestic beer necessarily, more so popular beer that's brewed here i.e Heineken, Carlsberg, Corres etc. That said Guinness is the only thing now that I can drink and enjoy and feel ok on the next day. The reason I've been thinking this is because any time I've booked a cheap flight to Europe I've noticed a massive difference in quality. I went to Prague recently and I noticed that my hangovers were way more manageable. I felt only a little tired the next day with a pretty pain free day. And I wasn't holding back on those nights because I was on my holidays. I have noticed it too in other European cities.
The other night I drank 6 or 7 pints in my local of a popular beer and the next day I was in rag order, mini depression the lot. I just wanted to know do others think similarly or is it all in my head. Im kind of thinking of giving up drinking all together because the H-overs are not worth it. Any thoughts?

The One Doctor · 01-08-2018 12:41pm

If you buy bad beer you end up with a bad taste in your mouth. Drink better beer and you'll be fine. Actually you won't, but at least it'll taste better.

Joe prim · 01-08-2018 12:49pm

Yes---give it up entirely, you'll feel a lot better and probably be an even NicerFella

doolox · 01-08-2018 12:59pm

I would classify myself as a heavy drinker but I find that in foreign parts the method is to eat food with drink. Also a lot of foreigners drink water between drinks to keep hydrated.

German and Czech beer is among the best in the world and the purest. Irish beer is full of preservatives and chemicals in comparison. Guinness stout is about the best of a bad lot but it depends on the bar, the delivery system, pipes, taps etc and how well they are cleaned and maintained.

I find draught beer in pubs to be very variable in quality so only consume it in small amounts. Bottles and cans are a better bet.

Always leave a period of time before sleep to allow nature to take its course with the inevitable post drink visit to the toilet, and also drink a pint of water before bed to avoid a hangover next morning. I also find that open windows in the bedroom and another pint of water on waking helps with the morning after blues.

NiceFella · 04-08-2018 2:18pm

Donald Trump wrote:

Tasty and tempting food

doolox wrote:

Always leave a period of time before sleep to allow nature to take its course with the inevitable post drink visit to the toilet, and also drink a pint of water before bed to avoid a hangover next morning. I also find that open windows in the bedroom and another pint of water on waking helps with the morning after blues.

Good advice, I've cut back alot lately mainly because the hangovers are simply not worth it.

balor69 · 10-10-2018 4:07pm

loads of great irish beers the country is full of fantastic craft breweries something for every pallet

BailMeOut · 10-10-2018 4:11pm

I was in England this weekend and drank muck in every pub. Our (craft) beer is excellent IMO especially everything brewed by Black's of Kinsale.

NickNickleby · 10-10-2018 4:21pm

just like to add an observation based on personal experience.

Smoking massively magnifies the effects of a hangover, and I mean smoking while drinking.

gave up the smokes cold turkey on the night of the ban. Following weekend, instead of my usual 4 pints of Guinness, I opted for Harp (of all things) as I knew the Guinness would reignite the old cravings for a smoke. Anyway, ended up drinking 6 pints. SIX, normally I'd be legless. I think it was that I'd nothing to do with the hand that usually held the cigarettes, so I kept picking up the pint. Anyway, next morning - no hangover. Was astounded.

Subsequently returned to Guinness, and found hangovers only occurred if I exceeded my rule of four:pac:. Previously, 4 Guinness (and cigarettes) was enough to have a head next morning.

Ok, this is where you say "but I don't smoke!" and bang goes my 3 minutes of index-fingered typing.

This year on the Costas, enjoyed draught San Miguel but not the bottles, and Cruzcampo wasn't too bad. Of course I'm comparing apples and oranges as I drink Guinness here, which is just as subject to the vagaries of the delivery - and I believe using the wrong detergent is the real cause for bad beer. Its all down to the glasses. Have some unscientific evidence to support this, found similar problems at home, after we changed to cheapo dishwasher tablets. Informed local hostelry of my discovery, and lo and behold, following Friday, good Guinness.

EdgeCase · 10-10-2018 4:23pm

We've a lot of beers. It depends on what you're drinking. The big, bland, highly-marketed, mega corporate brands are the coca-cola of beers. You'd hardly expect much.
Many of the craft beers are excellent.

You can actually have a really nice beer, drink less and enjoy it a lot more by just not buying garbage.

The biggest issue here are those bland, cheap lagers that people consume in vast quantities and pay no attention to what they actually taste like.

thebull85 · 10-10-2018 4:29pm

I drink Carlsberg and yes it leaves me in bits. Its not popular at all here anymore in pubs, so its never properly cold because it hasnt been flowing.

Recently i was in spain, and tried my first pint of Estrella, lovely beer and felt grand the next day.

My only gripe was why the fcuk to they drench the glass in water before they pull the pint? That goes against everything Diageo say, clean dry glass etc...

you jusrt end up with a flat pint no head.

easygoing39 · 29-10-2018 12:33pm

The Dutch serve beer in wet glass's too.
As for beer being brewed in Ireland is rubbish,you should try Coors Light or Carlsberg in England,its rank, makes Coors/Carlsberg brewed at James Gate taste like small batch craft beers!!

Brendan Bendar · 26-11-2018 1:14pm

BailMeOut wrote: »

I was in England this weekend and drank muck in every pub. Our (craft) beer is excellent IMO especially everything brewed by Black's of Kinsale.

Pity it's so expensive though, versus the many good reasonably priced beers on the shelves.

I notice several Supermarkets going in heavily on the craft beers most priced around 2 Euro for a .330.

I call bull on that, to be perfectly honest ,and they will gather dust for me at tht price.

Especially when one can get Stella, Becks, Baltika, Karpackie and the Tyskies Lomza pro rata for 70% of the price, and .500ml too.

Let's not let marketing fool us.

drunkmonkey · 26-11-2018 1:21pm

I do think the Heineken here is not anywhere as nice as Amsterdam.

A lot of the craft beers here are pretry poor especially when your used to having a good craft brewery on your doorstep you can taste the crap ones a mile away.

L1011 · 26-11-2018 8:35pm

The mass-market beers you're talking about would not be known for their taste and quality internationally anyway.

Coors sold in Ireland is brewed in the UK for about a year. Most Heineken sold here, except draught, is brewed in Amsterdam.

How Soon Is Now · 26-11-2018 8:57pm

Im not out as often as used to be but find pints of the usual stuff Heineken Bud Carlsberg etc to be mostly flat muck that has you wrecked the next day.

I think the time of day and how busy the bar is makes a difference as well. Ive been in the same pub in a very busy area of Dublin city centre during the week when was a bit quieter and then on the weekend and difference was huge!

As for the craft stuff it varies. I could buy bottles or cans in off license and quality would be very very good more often then not. I find in pubs though its a lot more hit and miss ive only found one or two places in city centre that craft stuff tasted really good anywhere else it was just as bad as the rest.

You get an even worse hangover as the percentage is higher as well plus your wallet pays for it too :pac:

12-01-2019 4:01pm

BailMeOut wrote: »

I was in England this weekend and drank muck in every pub. Our (craft) beer is excellent IMO especially everything brewed by Black's of Kinsale.

TBH I'd drink UK craft beer over Irish any day. In the UK even the Wetherspoons ales are mostly nice, but every pub has its own couple of specialty brews and they arehandsome for the most part. And then there's the Brewdog pubs - pure heaven.

They have been at it for a long time but the Irish craft beer industry is only 25 years old. There are some delicious Irish craft brews but an awful lot of pish too.

charlotte.york · 22-01-2019 1:30am

BailMeOut wrote: »

I was in England this weekend and drank muck in every pub. Our (craft) beer is excellent IMO especially everything brewed by Black's of Kinsale.

Scale though? I think London has far better food choice overall.

DJIMI TRARORE · 22-02-2019 12:19pm

Has Guinness changed its make-up recently,5-6 pints i use to be grand the next day,but lately ive being dying after 3-4 pints

James Bond Junior · 22-02-2019 1:19pm

I've had to give guiness up,3/4 pints and I am dying the next day. I've been drinking Franciscan Well's archway lager the past small while and it has left me feeling fine the following day.

Akabusi · 15-08-2019 3:40pm

There is a story going round my place that the Guinness dregs from St James Gate that is meant for pig feed is being re-kegged and sold cheap to the local pubs. These get mixed in with the standard Guinness and then it becomes a lottery if you a being served good Guinness or Guinness that was meant for animal consumption. Anyone reckon there is any truth to it? There is a black market for Kegs as I have seen the white vans dropping them at some of the pubs and there definitely is no consistency, in the standard of Guinness round me. One night it is fine, the next it is bland and tasteless. I have learned the hard way that 3 - 4 pints of this stuff can make you seriously ill.

cute geoge · 17-08-2019 5:06pm

I just was not able for the hangover anymore a couple of yeas ago and put it down to old age(40).I always found I could drink 4-5 pints mid week and it would not knock a sweat off me and come the weekend 4 pints could have me in a coma the morning after .My theory when the bar was busy in the weekend the publicans would fire out the dregs .As far as i know their is 3 grades of kegs ,The hotel grade being the dearest ,the regular kegs and then you have the returns .The returns would be kegs returned to the wholesalers form the likes of festival or bars closed down .These kegs might be out in the sun for a couple of weeks but someone always ends up drinking them so no wonder lads have hangovers after 4 pints

James Bond Junior · 17-08-2019 5:10pm

cute geoge wrote: »

I just was not able for the hangover anymore a couple of yeas ago and put it down to old age(40).I always found I could drink 4-5 pints mid week and it would not knock a sweat off me and come the weekend 4 pints could have me in a coma the morning after .My theory when the bar was busy in the weekend the publicans would fire out the dregs .As far as i know their is 3 grades of kegs ,The hotel grade being the dearest ,the regular kegs and then you have the returns .The returns would be kegs returned to the wholesalers form the likes of festival or bars closed down .These kegs might be out in the sun for a couple of weeks but someone always ends up drinking them so no wonder lads have hangovers after 4 pints

That sounds like total rubbish, I'm sorry. Kegs are all the same, they are delivered and normally put straight into a coldroom.

jackboy · 17-08-2019 5:31pm

James Bond Junior wrote: »

That sounds like total rubbish, I'm sorry. Kegs are all the same, they are delivered and normally put straight into a coldroom.

I have worked in a few bars and have never seen kegs put in a cold room.

Reviews and Books Galore · 17-08-2019 5:39pm

balor69 wrote: »

loads of great irish beers the country is full of fantastic craft breweries something for every pallet

I think I'm a bit of a snob towards craft beer :P

Its either something that's a novelty or just a trendy/rich appearing normal beer.

Well, Imo, you can't beat Irish cider. IMO, its not cider if its not from Ireland or, perhaps, another far north country.

Funnilly enough, Tyskie is better abroad.

odyssey06 · 17-08-2019 5:49pm

Obviously in an off licence, you can pickup german or czech but if you are in a typical Irish pub (am in Dublin), what would be the best option for lager then to avoid the Carlsberg-Heineken-Coors effect?

Nonoperational · 17-08-2019 5:57pm

Akabusi wrote: »

There is a story going round my place that the Guinness dregs from St James Gate that is meant for pig feed is being re-kegged and sold cheap to the local pubs. These get mixed in with the standard Guinness and then it becomes a lottery if you a being served good Guinness or Guinness that was meant for animal consumption. Anyone reckon there is any truth to it? There is a black market for Kegs as I have seen the white vans dropping them at some of the pubs and there definitely is no consistency, in the standard of Guinness round me. One night it is fine, the next it is bland and tasteless. I have learned the hard way that 3 - 4 pints of this stuff can make you seriously ill.

Seriously?

This thread is totally mad. People will believe anything.

Reviews and Books Galore · 18-08-2019 1:22pm

Has anybody here ever tried hungarian beer? It has a strangely spicy kick to it and was some of the 'tastiest' beer I've had. Like, it isn't sweet or fatty if that makes any kind of sense.

There was this beautiful one I had which I think had some type of wood mixed into it and it was like a cedary aftertaste or something.

Also, you can pick up a wine for a euro that tastes as good as anything that I had in France :P Definetly a country to check out for the alcohol imo.

jt69er · 18-08-2019 1:28pm

Akabusi wrote: »

There is a story going round my place that the Guinness dregs from St James Gate that is meant for pig feed is being re-kegged and sold cheap to the local pubs. These get mixed in with the standard Guinness and then it becomes a lottery if you a being served good Guinness or Guinness that was meant for animal consumption. Anyone reckon there is any truth to it? There is a black market for Kegs as I have seen the white vans dropping them at some of the pubs and there definitely is no consistency, in the standard of Guinness round me. One night it is fine, the next it is bland and tasteless. I have learned the hard way that 3 - 4 pints of this stuff can make you seriously ill.

Utter Rubbish

Akabusi · 19-08-2019 1:53pm

Nonoperational wrote: »

Seriously?

This thread is totally mad. People will believe anything.

Yes seriously, there is a black market for kegs, guys going round selling them out of vans to the pubs its become well known in my area, where these kegs are coming from I don't know but the standard is not anywhere near the same. I was drinking in one of the pubs where the Guinness is always good and this discussion came up, one of the regulars there told me that the Guinness lorry driver told him that this pub is the only pub in the locality that gets regular deliveries of Guinness and there is one pub that he hadn't delivered to in about 2 years. We're in a rural area where there are 5 - 6 pubs scattered out over a few miles radius. I would drink in them all on occasion but only have Guinness in one. It is the always the same conversation after a night out - How were the pints?

Akabusi · 19-08-2019 2:09pm

jt69er wrote: »

Utter Rubbish

There is a black market for Kegs. Do you accept that?

I accept that the pig feed thing it may very well be utter rubbish but could you expand on the reasoning behind your statement? Just saying, it could be true as it's not that long ago that horse meat was been passed as beef.

Nonoperational · 19-08-2019 10:44pm

Akabusi wrote: »

Yes seriously, there is a black market for kegs, guys going round selling them out of vans to the pubs its become well known in my area, where these kegs are coming from I don't know but the standard is not anywhere near the same. I was drinking in one of the pubs where the Guinness is always good and this discussion came up, one of the regulars there told me that the Guinness lorry driver told him that this pub is the only pub in the locality that gets regular deliveries of Guinness and there is one pub that he hadn't delivered to in about 2 years. We're in a rural area where there are 5 - 6 pubs scattered out over a few miles radius. I would drink in them all on occasion but only have Guinness in one. It is the always the same conversation after a night out - How were the pints?

From someone that knows the industry very well, and managed numerous pubs in my time, you are talking complete and utter nonsense and to be frank embarrassing yourself. You think Diageo, with an annual turnover of around €15 billion, are going around diverting Guinness for pig feed (complete ****e) into pubs.... Unbelievable. Really and truly unbelievable.

Akabusi · 20-08-2019 9:55am

Nonoperational wrote: »

From someone that knows the industry very well, and managed numerous pubs in my time, you are talking complete and utter nonsense and to be frank embarrassing yourself. You think Diageo, with an annual turnover of around €15 billion, are going around diverting Guinness for pig feed (complete ****e) into pubs.... Unbelievable. Really and truly unbelievable.

Calm yourself down and less with the "your embarrassing yourself" - I never said nor think that Diageo where diverting Guinness to anywhere.

There is a secondary market for kegs.

I passed on what some people around my locality are saying about where these kegs are comings from. I accept that it may be utter rubbish and directly asked if anyone thought there was any truth to it?

It would be nice to know:
If there is leftover/waste from the brewing process in St James gate?
If there is, what happens to it?

As some one else said, it maybe this secondary market for kegs are just what is unused after concerts/festivals etc. Either way the quality of this drink is terrible and I think some pubs (not all) in my region (Cavan/Longford/Leitrim) are buying these kegs.

James Bond Junior · 20-08-2019 1:19pm

Secondary kegs? Ah here. They would have a shelf life of a few months so anything unused goes back and out to the pubs like any other stock.

Akabusi · 20-08-2019 1:25pm

I'm telling you there are guys going around selling kegs out of the back of vans. I live close to a pub and have often seen kegs being delivered to this pub from a van.

Where could they be coming from?

20-08-2019 1:29pm

Akabusi wrote: »

I'm telling you there are guys going around selling kegs out of the back of vans. I live close to a pub and have often seen kegs being delivered to this pub from a van.

Where could they be coming from?

Craft breweries maybe? Not big operations. I'm just speculating.

Akabusi · 20-08-2019 1:48pm

Thanks, its obviously not a widespread practice, I guess it can be added to the cattle smuggling, washed diesel and dodgy petrol that also comes with the territory of living in a border county.

20-08-2019 2:46pm

Akabusi wrote: »

Thanks, its obviously not a widespread practice, I guess it can be added to the cattle smuggling, washed diesel and dodgy petrol that also comes with the territory of living in a border county.

I think you're making an assumption that just because the kegs are being delivered by a van that they are automatically dodgy.

That may not be the case, as I posited with the example of a small, craft brewery. Possibly a one man band. A perfectly legitimate business. They're not going to be making big deliveries of large numbers of kegs in trucks.

Akabusi · 20-08-2019 2:55pm

Ward J. Littell wrote: »

I think you're making an assumption that just because the kegs are being delivered by a van that they are automatically dodgy.

That may not be the case, as I posited with the example of a small, craft brewery. Possibly a one man band. A perfectly legitimate business. They're not going to be making big deliveries of large numbers of kegs in trucks.

This pub does not sell any craft beer - Guinness, Smithwicks, Heineken and i think maybe Coors Light on draft. That would be the standard enough offering for all the pubs around me. The majority of the locals would never have tasted a craft beer.

Reviews and Books Galore · 20-08-2019 4:03pm

Akabusi wrote: »

I'm telling you there are guys going around selling kegs out of the back of vans. I live close to a pub and have often seen kegs being delivered to this pub from a van.

Where could they be coming from?

Nicked?

James Bond Junior · 20-08-2019 6:19pm

Reviews and Books Galore wrote: »

Nicked?

This is more likely.

jt69er · 20-08-2019 9:24pm

Akabusi wrote: »

I'm telling you there are guys going around selling kegs out of the back of vans. I live close to a pub and have often seen kegs being delivered to this pub from a van.

Where could they be coming from?

A lot of small pubs buy their kegs from a wholesaler because, for whatever reason, these pubs don't buy direct from the brewery, hence the "white van deliveries".

jt69er · 20-08-2019 9:37pm

Akabusi wrote: »

Calm yourself down and less with the "your embarrassing yourself" - I never said nor think that Diageo where diverting Guinness to anywhere.

There is a secondary market for kegs.

I passed on what some people around my locality are saying about where these kegs are comings from. I accept that it may be utter rubbish and directly asked if anyone thought there was any truth to it?

It would be nice to know:
If there is leftover/waste from the brewing process in St James gate?
If there is, what happens to it?

As some one else said, it maybe this secondary market for kegs are just what is unused after concerts/festivals etc. Either way the quality of this drink is terrible and I think some pubs (not all) in my region (Cavan/Longford/Leitrim) are buying these kegs.

Any faulty kegs returned to any Brewery go through a process to determine exact cause of fault,eg keg hardware or product.Out of date kegs or returns from festivals/concerts are dumped rather than risking the reputation of a multinational company for a couple of hundred euro.

Akabusi · 20-08-2019 10:07pm

Wholesaler or nicked would explain it. Would the Guinnes be consistently good in your locals? I have to say whenever I drink down the country in what you'd term real Guinness pubs it is always good.

Stubility · 16-09-2019 1:14am

I recommend O'Hara's, Galway Bay, Kinnegar, McGargle's and Galway Hooker

Brendan Bendar · 16-09-2019 7:37am

Akabusi wrote: »

This pub does not sell any craft beer - Guinness, Smithwicks, Heineken and i think maybe Coors Light on draft. That would be the standard enough offering for all the pubs around me. The majority of the locals would never have tasted a craft beer.

Couldn’t afford it, either.

L1011 · 19-09-2019 8:29pm

Akabusi wrote: »

I was drinking in one of the pubs where the Guinness is always good and this discussion came up, one of the regulars there told me that the Guinness lorry driver told him that this pub is the only pub in the locality that gets regular deliveries of Guinness and there is one pub that he hadn't delivered to in about 2 years.

Wholesalers. Not everyone buys from Diageo. My local back home buys all their kegs from one place - elderly couple who ran it until they passed away would not have been interested in the admin of dealing with Diageo, C&C and Heineken Ireland for an extremely limited volume of kegs. Their son runs it remotely now trusting a long-term barwoman to manage day to day and she has a hell of a lot to do so the same advantage would apply.

You're talking about a clearly rural area, its probably the exact same. One person to call for kegs, one invoice = much easier for a small pub.

As for what happens to waste in James Gate - down the drains.

Turquoise Hexagon Sun · 04-02-2020 6:43pm

I just don't go near the big-brand, bland beers. They're awful. Just different shades of bland, ****e. Alot of pubs haven't caught up with the times and they still only serve Heinekken, Budweiser, Carlsberg etc (the Katie Perry's and Justin Biebers of beer). All of them taste like muck - and I avoid bars that don't make an effeort.

However, if you go in to a large enough Tesco who would be more congnisant of the changing times when it comes to beer/food consumption, they have a range of craft beers. If you also go in to Malloys off-licence, , O'Briens, or most good off-licences, you'll find a great selection of craft beers. Something with actual taste.

No everything is great but if you go in and get a selection of craft beers, it's nice to try out the different ones and find what suits you. I happen to like really hoppy IPA's and each brewer has their own style.

Brendan Bendar · 04-02-2020 6:58pm

Turquoise Hexagon Sun wrote: »

I just don't go near the big-brand, bland beers. They're awful. Just different shades of bland, ****e. Alot of pubs haven't caught up with the times and they still only serve Heinekken, Budweiser, Carlsberg etc (the Katie Perry's and Justin Biebers of beer). All of them taste like muck - and I avoid bars that don't make an effeort.

However, if you go in to a large enough Tesco who would be more congnisant of the changing times when it comes to beer/food consumption, they have a range of craft beers. If you also go in to Malloys off-licence, , O'Briens, or most good off-licences, you'll find a great selection of craft beers. Something with actual taste.

No everything is great but if you go in and get a selection of craft beers, it's nice to try out the different ones and find what suits you. I happen to like really hoppy IPA's and each brewer has their own style.

They are too dear,dude, need to be chopped back to managable prices.

Like the publicicans, they want to screw the drinker.

Back of story , send out good beer at a reasonable price and people will drink it.

Otherwise don’t try to piss down our necks.

We have been ridden for long enough.

Turquoise Hexagon Sun · 04-02-2020 7:13pm

They are more expensive but I don't drink them like I used to drink the likes of Heineken. A good IPA could be 8% and drinking 6 wouldn't be the same as drinking 6 Heineken. I know that seems obvious but also with flavour too. I find good IPA's to more rich and I can enjoy them slower.

If I'm staying in, I can drink from around 21:00/22:00 to about 01:00 and drink slowly 3 or €9, 8% craft beers. I'll get toasty from it, not drunk, and enjoy the flavour and taste. I think that's good value for under €10.

Yes, those beers are more expensive but better value as usually have a higher alcohol content. The larger companies usually brew around 4.3% which is probably just some point where it's under some tax threshold to keep the price of brewing/importing down while charging as much as they can get away with.

elperello · 04-02-2020 7:27pm

I agree with you about the IPAs.

I love that hoppy taste.

Disagree that Heineken, Carlsberg and Bud are muck. They are entirely palatable and offer an acceptable drinking experience for most drinkers.

If you really mean you don't like them well fair enough don't drink them.

Also comparing home drinking with pub drinking is a bit unfair. The pub is offering a service and has overheads to cover.

Brendan Bendar · 04-02-2020 7:55pm

elperello wrote: »

I agree with you about the IPAs.

I love that hoppy taste.

Disagree that Heineken, Carlsberg and Bud are muck. They are entirely palatable and offer an acceptable drinking experience for most drinkers.

If you really mean you don't like them well fair enough don't drink them.

Also comparing home drinking with pub drinking is a bit unfair. The pub is offering a service and has overheads to cover.

As opposed to over €5.50 for a .330. bottle versus €1.20.

Service ain’t that good, dude.

Nowhere near.

Time to put that crap to bed.

Is beer in Ireland bad?

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