A Quart of Ale± #10. Moving on over to craft. American Style IPA

A Quart of Ale± #10

Moving on over to craft. 

American Style IPA

First, there was IPA. In the 18th century, English beer, on its way to India was highly hopped. It became known as India pale ale and went down well with the soldiers and later found favour with drinkers at home. 

Two hundred years later, just like the empire, it was slipping into oblivion, until the Americans revived it by using their more aromatic and flavourful hops and more of them. And so the American IPA was born. And that led to a revival in the UK.

In Part 1 here, we start with a 100% American IPA and an answer from the UK and a worthy effort too from our own Porterhouse. Both Lyons and Lough Gill have strong US connections. Part 2 will focus on some excellent American style IPA produced here in Ireland by the likes of Kinnegar, Whiplash, Blacks and Yellowbelly.

Founders All Day IPA 4.7%, 42 IBU, 355ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Light amber colour, no shortage of bubbles, white head falls quickly. Aromas are sharply hoppy. Mouth-filling, with strong but not by any means overpowering hop input, not too bitter at all. Excellent, and certainly sessional as they indicate on the label. A classic Founders without all the alcohol.

They say: The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

Brewer Jeremy Kosmicki  made the All Day his mission: “Not too malty, not too bitter, not too much alcohol. Something I would get satisfaction from. Pretty excited that the company got behind it and said go for it. It’s not a light beer.. the only thing light about it is the alcohol.” Reckon he cracked it! See his video onsite at www.foundersbrewing.com

Thornbridge Jamestown New England IPA 5.9%, 330ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Lighter colour, a light hazy gold, than Founders, big white head, a bit slower to sink. Hoppy aromas. On the palate, you get a fruity greeting, little trace of bitterness. Very quaffable indeed. And if you’re inching your way into craft, you could do worse than try this English made beer.

Hops: Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Citra. Mosaic

Maris Otters, Wheat, Oat

They say: Jamestown is soft in body and huge in character. Expect a bouquet of stone fruit and citrus, followed by flavours of papaya and pineapple on the palate. Vegan friendly!

Porterhouse Renegade New England IPA 5.3%, 440ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Again a hazy gold, a little heavier than the Jamestown, big white head that lingers a while. Hops peep through in the aromas. Well flavoured as you’d expect from the hops but this smooth New Englander from old Dublin is very drinkable, well balanced with hops enough but no overt bitterness.

They say: Renegade is our take on a NEIPA. With an extended whirlpool at lower temperature for a smooth soft finish. Unfiltered and heavily dry hopped with Amarillo, Galaxy and Mosaic for notable flavours of passionfruit, mango, lemon with a touch of blueberry. This NEIPA is fermented on traditional East Coast yeast.

Malts: Ale, Oats, Cara, Wheat.

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simco.

Lough Gill Native IPA 5.5%, 440ml can, Aldi

In Lough Gill, a couple of years back, with James (left) and Tony

The label shows a buffalo with the stars and stripes background. More than enough to indicate that this is more than likely an American style Indian Pale Ale. No big surprise really considering that head brewer Tony is a Lakota Sioux. It came into the Aldi offering about two years back and I hadn’t heard of it until a chance visit to the local store recently. The surprise is that this has some characteristics of an English style IPA.

It comes in a reddish brown colour with an off white head that doesn’t last as long as an Aldi queue. Aromas of moderate intensity with both malt and hops at level pegging. And that equilibrium is repeated on the palate. Nice bit of flavour though and a dry malty finish from a beer that falls somewhere between American and English, between pale ale and red. Pretty good one though.

With COVID-19 hammering small business right across the country James Ward, founder, Lough Gill Brewing Company, is delighted that Aldi has extended its usual summer contract for Native to last through the autumn. 

Pearse Lyons “Brown Bear” IPA 5.2%, 500ml bottle Aldi

The late lamented Pearse Lyons (clip from distillery tour video)

Amber is the colour of this Aldi beer. The soft white head soon sinks to a lacy disc. Hops and their floral notes feature in the aromas of moderate intensity. It has been dry hopped and that comes across clearly on the palate right through to the finish but the malt has a strong enough part to play here as well. 

Well-made, well balanced as you’d expect from the Pearse Lyons company who own a distillery and a brewery in the US. Their distillery in Dublin’s Liberties is a must visit while their beers are being produced, for Aldi, in the old McArdles brewery in Dundalk. I haven’t had the pleasure of a visit there yet.

The Quart of Ale± #1. A magic Imperial Stout + Radler. Red. Sour.

A Quart of Ale± #1. A magic Imperial Stout + Radler. Red. Sour. 

Today sees the beginning of a new series on beer. I'll be doing the best I can to cover a broad range but, if I'm missing out on your brewery, just let me know. While the focus will be mainly on Irish craft beers (and ciders), I'll also dip into the best of imports. Today's selection roams over the range, from Lough Gill's stunning Imperial Stout to the fun summer-time Radler by Blacks. Yellow Belly make excellent sours while the Red Ale comes from Wicklow's Wolf brewery.

Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%, 440ml can, Bradley’s

Well, well, well. This is amazing, especially on the palate. Smooth and packed with chocolate and coffee flavours along with fruit and spice. And it just goes on and on, the finalé every bit as delicious as the initial encounter. It’s black, with an ephemeral coffee coloured head. Coffee in the rich aromas  also but quite a touch of herb and spice also. 

Can this is the dark Irish beer your mother didn’t tell you about? Dark Majik is an Irish beer that could give the high abv Belgians a run for their money. And it is craft brewed in their independent brewery in Sligo. 

Unlike the Belgians, Lough Gill do not suggest food pairings. I was thinking Sticky Toffee Pudding but none on hand when you need it! Instead, I raided the cupboard and found exactly what I was looking for, unsulphured dried apricots that I got from West Cork Olives via Neighbourfood, and they paired very well indeed.

They say: A true beer for royalty. Big bold chocolate coffee aromas, with a multitude of fruit and spices. A bold yet silky smooth texture with flavours ranging from chocolate and coffee to raisins and anise. With a hearty 11% abv this beer is sure to keep you warm from top to toe. 

It does all that but think it may be wasted on royalty. Pour it for the people. And for yourself, of course!

You’ll see the term Imperial used on most high alcohol beers, as is the case here. Imperial stouts, according to Craft Beer for the People, “have a typically high success rate when aged; their flavours become more relaxed and verge into sweeter milk chocolate, dried figs or other fruit, or a deeply roasted coffee.” They could well be talking about this one by James Ward and his Lough Gill team. 

Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%, 440ml can, Bradley’s

Yellow Belly like their sours, so be prepared!

Cloudy light amber is the colour. Not so much fruit in the aromas; yeast seems to be the main element. Once it reaches the palate though, the face puckers as promised and the Belgian malts, aided by the passionfruit sweetness, begin to calm it all down a bit. Just a little bit! This is after all a sour, and a pretty good one at that. Quite a thirst-quencher!

They say: The perfect sour. Our house Berliner Weisse recipe (soured with our, continuously evolving, barrel stored lactobacillus culture) conditioned on a small tropical islands worth of passionfruit. Expect a lovely fruity aroma, more fruit on the tongue, and even more fruit on the finish all rounded with a gentle acidity from the souring process. Brewed with only the finest Belgian malts and our House Lactobacillus Culture under the careful watch of our Head Brewer, Declan Nixon.

It is a Seasonal Beer – mostly found during the Summer months, but from time to time as a limited release. It is unfiltered and not pasteurised.

So, what is a sour? It is perhaps the style of beer most likely to put someone off with a single sip. But, according to Craft Beer for the People, “they are hugely rewarding for those who can get past the initial shock.” Think of lemons, sauerkraut, pickles and Citrus Pressé (the French non-alcoholic thirst quencher) as that essential first step. “Once you gain a taste for them (sours)…. there’s no going back!”

All the artwork you see across our Tap Badges and Cans features our fictional hero ‘YellowBelly’. He’s the “Dr. Who” of Beer; travelling through time and space to find new recipes, discover ingredients and to fight the bad guys trying to destroy good beer. Our Creative Director, Paul Reck, creates all the artwork and is the mastermind behind our ‘YellowBelly Tales’ Comic Book Series, which can read for free on the site.

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Black’s Brewery Ready Up! Radler 3.8%, 440 can, Bradley’s 

So many of you will want to know what is a Radler? It is German for “cyclist") and the style has a long history in German-speaking regions. It commonly consists of a 50:50 mixture of beer and sparkling lemonade. Here the lemonade is replaced by pink grapefruit soda; I’m not too sure about the 50:50 though!

Radler is quite similar to our shandy. Its origin in Germany goes back about 100 years when a long bicycle trail from Munich ended up at a tavern in the woods. On one exceptionally busy day, the landlord was afraid he wouldn’t have enough beer so he “stretched” his stock by blending it with lemon soda and found he had a hit on his hands!

Black’s Radler is bright amber, lots of bubbles rising up to the rapidly thinning white head. The grapefruit introduces itself in the aromas.  The beer is light and crisp on the palate, and also reminds me of the many juicy sweets (Quenchers? Opal Fruits?) I enjoyed years ago. Quite a lip-smacking dry finish from this handy summer-time thirst quencher.

They say: Just in time for summer, this traditional German style is a refreshing blend of lager and pink grapefruit soda. Crisp, light and fruity with a lower abv for those long summer days at home.

Wicklow Wolf “Wildfire” Hoppy Red Ale 4.6%,  440ml can, O'Briens Wine

Dark amber’s the colour here, with an off white head doesn’t last too long. Malty and coffee in the aromas. More malty in the mouth, with the “tasty” hop blend of Sorachi and Sabro also getting in their say, a rather mild one to be honest.

Touted as a modern red ale, I’m quite pleased with it and would love to to try it in a direct joust with other reds like Roaring Ruby (from West Cork Brewing), Kinnegar’s Devil’s Backbone, Copper Coast (from Dungarvan Brewing), White Gypsy’s Ruby Red, Sunburnt Irish (8 Degrees), Costello’s Red Ale and more (including the newish Velvet Red by the Cotton Ball). Could be a long session. And I’d need food as well!

Franciscan Well Easter Fest. Was 2019 the Best Yet?

Franciscan Well Easter Fest

Was 2019 the Best Yet?

Franciscan Well is located held its 20th annual Easter Festival at its North Mall location at the weekend. And, by all accounts, from the organisers, the visiting brewers and the customers, it was the best yet.

I met Franciscan Well Market Manager Kate Clancy when I called early on Sunday afternoon. She reported that the previous day was amazing. “Once we opened the doors at 1.00pm, the crowds just kept coming.”

"What a weekend we had! Beer, Easter eggs, beer out of Easter eggs, pizzas, live music and this crowd! Thanks to everyone for coming along and a huge thanks as always to our amazing staff & their hard work! 

And the brewers confirmed that. Many had run out of their headline beers which meant I didn’t get to taste Peaches and Cream by the Cotton Ball or the Witness Protection Belgian Wit by Wexford’s Yellow Belly. 

I got in before the crowd on Sunday.

It was much the same story at UCC. UCC? You might well ask. Well, yes, they have a research brewery and you’ll see them at various festivals. Like the other breweries, they ran out of certain lines and, just like the others, had to be nimble to keep the show on the road. And one I enjoyed there was Manneken Pis, named after the Belgian beer. Apparently, the Manneken Pis statue has on occasion been filled with beer and you were welcome to hold your cup up and get a fill.

No such shenanigans at Franciscan Well!

Yellow Belly's Seamus was one of the happy brewers here who also seen his stocks diminish more rapidly than expected. But I did get to sample a couple. Their Jack Bauer Power Shower, a 3.8% sour, was deliciously refreshing in the heat and CL quickly became a fan. The Wolf of Malt Street, a 6.2 per cent Black Forrest Stout, a collaboration between Yellow Belly and neighbours Wicklow Wolf, also went down well at our barrel - could have done with a seat in the heat!

I also enjoyed the Elevation Pale Ale from Wicklow Wolf, an American style Pale Ale brewed and dry hopped with Mosaic Hops. Not everyone likes the dry hop beers but it suits me fine! Great too to meet up with James Ward of Lough Gill Brewery whose Mac Nutty is one of my favourite brown beers. This time we tasted their Roller Coaster, a 4.6% Berliner Weisse, with Guava, Mango and Passionfruit. Delicious and, like the Jack Bauer, refreshing. Also met up, after a few years, from Richard from Roscommon’s Black Donkey but we were making out exit at that stage.

The Rising Sun’s Common Eileen, a California Common, was malty with a decent bitterness, with traditional old-style American Hops. Had been hoping to taste the Cotton Ball’s Peaches and Cream but Eoin reported it all sold out. Still, there was the considerable consolation of a glass of their excellent Another Bloody IPA. I hadn't tasted that with a long while and enjoyed renewing the acquaintance. Indeed, called to the Cotton itself for a small selection of bottles when we got home - the sun was still shining in the garden.

Six Reasons to put Sligo on your Food and Drink list for 2018

Sligo. On the Food Trail

Sligo. October 2017

Lough Gill Brewery
Strandhill Food Festival
Sligo Cafés

Embassy Steakhouse
Rugantino
The Swagman

Six of the Best from Lough Gill Brewery

Lough Gill Beers

Six of the Best

During a recent visit to Lough Gill Brewery in County Sligo, we got to taste a good few of the beers and left with a bagful to try out at home. Got a chance to do just that at our leisure recently. We started with three of their core beers, the first three below, and then moved on to some of their limited editions, the final three. Great variety coming from the banks of the Garravogue, one of Ireland's shortest rivers. Keep them coming lads and great to see them available in Bradley's on Cork's North Main Street.

Lough Gill Thieving Bastards Pale Ale, 5%, 440ml can

Just a small family owned brewery in Sligo taking on the big beers from God knows where. And making a right fine fist of it. And some mighty fine beers too.

Amber is the colour of this not so pale ale, indeed it's not too far off the red ale colour. Rich and malty on the palate and a lip-smacking dry finish. Recommended.

Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut Brown Ale, 5.5%, 440ml can

The guys at Lough Gill admit to having hand-toasted “trays upon trays of macadamia nuts” for this brown ale. No doubt about the colour here, a rich dark brown. Rather handsome overall from the introduction that deposits bags of flavours. It has an excellent body and a nice balance of hops and malt. Not unlike the Newcastle Brown Ale that you find in a pint bottle.

Macadamia nuts, by the way, are native to Australia and are full of healthy fats. Highly Recommended.

Lough Gill Round the Clock Breakfast Stout, 5.2%, 440ml can

I’m a sucker for oatmeal stout and this, with oats from Flahavan’s no less, is a temptation. Add in a dark coffee and it becomes irresistible. 

The brew is black of colour, intensely flavoured and, if Neven can serve Irish Whiskey in his porridge, then surely I can have this rich smooth (as any former taoiseach’s silky shirts), for breakfast.

Never too early, never too late for this Very Highly Recommended Round the Clock stout.

Lough Gill Wild Rosé Wheat Ale, 5%, 440ml can

This is from their Wild Atlantic Series, promising Big, Bold, Extreme Flavor (Note US spelling!). Expect wild sour and funky beers reflecting their location in these limited releases.

Not too sour at all is the initial impression from this “Golden Blush” coloured ale but it does grow on you. There is an undeniable tartness, quite a refreshing one, and also an excellent balance between the bitterness and sweetness. Doesn't say it in the ingredients but I thought I heard there was the odd hedgerow rose in the mix. Recommended.

Lough Gill Hoppy Scotch Ale, 9%, 440ml can

And, from the Irish Punch-up Series, comes this Scotch Ale, also known in Scotland as “Wee Heavy”. Lough Gill will fill this series with “even bolder flavours and higher ABVs (starting at 8%)”. Again it is a limited release.

It’s a dark ruby colour, aromas of malt and fruit, rich malt and caramel flavours, sweet and smooth, quite intense, yet little outward sign of the high alcohol which is well camouflaged. No big sign of the hops either. Did they mean Happy Scotch Ale? In any case, I'm quite happy with it. Highly Recommended.

Lough Gill Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout, 11%, 440ml can

Another limited release, this from the Rebel Stout Series, the ones your mother didn't tell you about. As you probably expected, it is black (good guess!), coffee aromas with a ultra smooth palate featuring malts and coffee. Again, very well balanced. Hard hitting at 11% but it is a smooth customer, delivering a velvet punch. Very Highly Recommended.

Read all about our brewery visit here.

The Swagman Rocks in Sligo

The Swagman Rocks in Sligo

It’s a busy Friday evening at The Swagman in Wine Street, Sligo, and owner Dale Barber is on duty, as always. There are Australia flags (Irish too!) and memorabilia around the walls and ceiling but Dale is cheering Ireland this evening as they take on Moldova in the World Cup. The Australian has been in the news in the town over the past few days having cooly helped stop the robbers of a nearby phone shop.

Ireland score and there's a large cheer. Dale tells me that goal will be cheered in small towns across Australia. It is important to the diaspora, something that we don't always recognise in this country. Dale is sometimes puzzled by the lack of enthusiasm for the national team when things aren't going well and amazed by the contrast when we qualify for a finals tournament.

The no frills pub is a bit like the straight talking Australian from Tangambalanga (Victoria) where his parents had a busy pub offering food and drink and accommodation. And indeed, many years and countries later,  advice from his visiting parents helped him decide on buying the Swagman. Wife Sinead, whom he had met on his travels, came up with the name and so, the Swagman was born at the start of the decade.

Soul in a Bowl. Tequila, Lime,  Garlic and Beef Stew 

The Swagman has over one hundred craft beers and we enjoyed an ale from local brewers, The White Hag, as the conversation turned to food and its provenance. Dale offers a simple but very good menu, well sourced and served on white plates!  It is all about fresh, local and fair here, the fair meaning that it is well priced. And, aside from the Kangaroo offering, a nod to his heritage, the source is local because that represents his values.

Dale is something of a gardener himself and indeed would love to do more on that front but that would take from his work at the pub. He speaks enthusiastically of picking your own in the tunnel and almost poetically when describing the fresh taste of home-grown tomatoes or indeed of any fruit or vegetable. And of course, much of the produce from home is used here in the Swagman where you can expect a daily special called “Soul in a Bowl”, a roast of the day, and pizza (making pizzas is another of his accomplishments!).

The two of us and Dale were keeping an eye on the match but as it approached half-time we had to leave. We had a dinner reservation nearby and would, as always, honour that. But it would have been good to stay and eat and watch the rest of the game in this pub with soul. Instead it was firm handshakes all round as we headed into the street.

While The Swagman has a rustic, maybe outback, feel, the newly opened Anderson’s on the banks of the dark Garavogue is a creature of the 21st century, inside at least. It is plush and colourful and lively with a cocktail menu on the counter. 

But some craft beer as well and that harks back to the origin of the building which once housed a brewery owned by the Anderson family and called Lough Gill. Their Anderson’s Red Ale was the biggest selling beer in Connaught in the 19th century and that original brewery closed early in the 20th.  The exterior has been retained.

Earlier, I had visited the new Lough Gill Brewery (just a few miles away) and was told the story. The new brewery (2016) started by making their take of the Anderson’s Red Ale and it is on sale around the town and also, right here in the revamped old building, there is a tap. I very much enjoyed that Ale here in Anderson’s, the purpose of my little pilgrimage.  

Before I headed off for another dinner, I also drank, for the first time, an offering from Dublin’s Five Lamps, a very enjoyable Liberties Pale Ale. Didn't see their Monto Red on the taps. Maybe, one bit of red is enough in Sligo town.

Other pubs with grub on the Sligo Food Trail include: Fiddlers Creek, Hargadon's, Harrison's, and the Strand Bar.
See also: Lough Gill Brewery
 Strandhill Food Festival
Sligo Cafés
Embassy Steakhouse
Rugantino

Lough Gill Brewery (and Meadery!). Focus on quality and consistency.

Lough Gill Brewery (and Meadery!)
Focus on quality and consistency.

It’s a Friday evening and I am sitting in a classy new bar, Anderson’s, on the banks of the Garavogue in Sligo, on an ale "pilgrimage".

Back in the 1800s, Anderson’s Ale was the most popular beer in Connacht and the family owned three breweries in the province, one of them housed in this very building. The story makes my pint of Anderson’s Ale all the tastier!

The new Anderson’s Ale is produced by a new family micro brewery, the Lough Gill. And, that morning, James Ward told me that they  (he and wife Valerie) went back to the region’s roots to brew a traditional Irish ale that is their interpretation of what was originally produced. “It opened the door for us.”

Anderson's, once a brewery, now a smart pub

While Lough Gill’s initial beer looked to the past, their production now looks to the future and James sees that future in cans and in America. Their beers are geared towards the US market and their eye-catching can labels are designed by a US artist. Indeed, their brewer Tony Wickham is a Lakota Sioux from Montana.

You get the drift once you sample their Mac Nutty, a nut brown ale (with toasted macadamia nuts), similar to Newcastle Brown Ale that you may have seen in a one pint bottle. Mac Nutty is one of their regular beers and exported to the US where Lough Gill is established in New York State and Massachusetts.

The water, and the name, come from nearby Lough Gill and that was also the name of the old brewery. It is not the first brewery for James and wife Valerie. Their initial venture, the White Hag, was the first brewery in Sligo for the best part of a century. After a couple of years, he sold it to its investor group and launched Lough Gill, with Anderson’s Ale, just last November.

Now they make quite an array of beers, lots of bold flavours and tastes here, including their Round the Clock stout; recommended for breakfast as it has Flahavan’s Oatmeal included!

They mill everything on site here. “We crack it open, it’s fresh. Our focus is on quality and consistency.” Irish malts are used for all their basic beers while specially malts are sourced in Belgium.

He took us through the process. By the way, this is a steam operated brewery, a better boil, better beer. After the usual mash tun, kettle, the more unusual whirlpool, the cooling, it goes into the tank and fresh yeast is added. “We use live yeast, makes for a better product. When we make our Imperial Coffee Oatmeal Stout, the yeast goes crazy. At 11%, this stout is the strongest in Ireland.”

In Lough Gill with James (left) and brewer Tony (right)

Their four core beers are: the Mac Nutty nut brown ale, the Round the Clock stout, the Heinoweiser IPA, and the Thieving Bastards Pale ale; some of the names are a finger up to the bigger brands. The stout and the brown ale are both exported. In addition, there is the Rebel Stout Series, the Irish Punch Up Series (which has started with a  barley wine), and the Irish Wild Atlantic series (sours).

“Sour is huge in the US. We have a sour wheat beer, a Wild Rosé Ale, an Imperial Peach Sour and a Cherry sour is coming soon.” And coming soon too will be their Mead.

Didn't know they had a Meadery here when I arrived but enjoyed a taste from the tank and can confirm that Tony’s Mead is a very different take indeed. James told me that it is the oldest drink in the world, “made by women and the drink of legends”. Tony has made mead in the states where it is quite popular. And James reckons that the far east, especially Japan and China, will prove likely markets.

Amazing energy and innovation here. Must be in that Lough Gill water. Maybe in some other local liquid. Best of luck to the team here as they take Sligo brewing on to the world stage.

* That same evening, Lough Gill was awarded Best New Sligo Business 2017. James: “We have yet to reach our 1st anniversary brew day and we are extremely delighted to receive this award at such an early stage in our business.” Great to get honoured in your home town.

See also: Strandhill Food Festival
Sligo Cafés
Clo's Chocolates
Rugatino of Sligo
Embassy Steakhouse
The Swagman Rocks