American homebrewer/beer nerd seeks recommendations

[jessica612]

Hello all! My husband and I will be visiting your fair country starting next week, and I'm looking for your opinions on which small breweries and craft beer bars we should visit. We'll be driving ourselves around and overnighting in Dublin, Galway, Dingle, Killarney, and Cork, and breezing through points in between. If you have favorites, I'd love to hear them. Thanks, and sláinte!

[SprocketFuel]

Rising Sons in cork is worth a visit, short tour followed by a tasting session
https://www.facebook.com/RisingSONSbrewery/

[DEMPSEY]

Porterhouse in Dublin Galway bay pubs in Galway. Franciscon well in Cork.

[johnrm]

In Galway the Salthouse and the Oslo are both excellent.
Salthouse is close to Sity Centre if thats where yo're staying.
The Oslo is in Salthill and a bus ride out - Heres the timetable for route 401...
http://www.buseireann.ie/timetables/1425472464-401.pdf

[Cambrinus]

If you are around Dingle try to get to West Kerry Brewery & Brick's Pub (Tig Bhric). Beautifully situated on the Wild Atlantic Way. Few minutes drive from Dingle.
http://www.westkerrybrewery.ie

[Vermelho]

If you are around Dingle try to get to West Kerry Brewery & Brick's Pub (Tig Bhric). Beautifully situated on the Wild Atlantic Way. Few minutes drive from Dingle.
http://www.westkerrybrewery.ie

I would have to strongly disagree with this. I did this brew tour with some of my visiting us friends and I was shocked at the state of the brewery. Serious H&S issues. Also the beer is fairly average.

[Cambrinus]

I would have to strongly disagree with this. I did this brew tour with some of my visiting us friends and I was shocked at the state of the brewery. Serious H&S issues. Also the beer is fairly average.

Maybe I visited at a better time of year.
It was clean and the pint I had was decent when I was there a few weeks back.

[Taf]

For Cork, Blairs Inn is a nice traditional pub doing good local food, with a decent craft beer selection, and sometimes Dungarvan ales on cask. Lovely beer garden also, situated close to Blarney.

http://www.blairsinn.ie/

Would also reccomend Blacks in Kinsale.

http://www.blacksbrewery.com/

Depending on what way you drive from Killarney to Cork or vice versa, you might pass 9 White Deer Brewery in Ballyvourney or Baile Bhuirne if you want to go with the Irish name, as this Brewery is in a Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area).

http://9whitedeer.ie/wp/index.php/our-story-2/


8 Degrees is a really good brewery in Mitchelstown, just outside Cork. I know they do some tours, but obviously need to check with them first, as think they often cater to larger groups. Look out for thier beer anyway.

http://www.eightdegrees.ie/

Also Killarney Brewing Company. I don't have much experience of them, but since you plan to be in the area, might be worth a shot.

https://www.killarneybrewing.com/

Enjoy the trip, and let us know how you get on.

[SlugTrap]

Just so you know...
There is no law allowing tasting rooms in breweries in Ireland; you need a ($80k) full pub license.
This is due to change, but that's the way it is for now.
If you thinking of sitting at bench tables with cheese plates and dogs hanging out, looking at the bright tanks, (+ I love all that - I'm from NYC) that just doesn't happen here.
You can't even fill a growler at a brewery.

That said, there are some lovely spots, many mentioned above.
I'd recommend the BeoirFinder app, which marks nearly all of the craft beer outlets in Ireland.
Have fun, and PM me if you need to know more.

[Pheeel]

Actually thats not 100% true. They can have do tours with tasting if the group is getting 21L min. Its best to ask. During high season this won't be a problem for some breweries

And for the OP. Whatever you have been, whatever you may think, don't drink the Smithwicks...

[BigDanny84]

Killarney Brewing is def worth a visit. Friendly people and good beer. The only pub in Killarney with a decent selection of craft beer is the Celtic Whiskey Experience.

[jessica612]

Hey guys,

Thanks to all who chimed in with recommendations. My husband and I had an amazing time in Ireland, and used a bunch of your suggestions. We did end up switching our night in Killarney to one in Kilkenny instead, but we managed to find good beer there, too. Brewery highlights for me include Galway Bay, Rising Sons in Cork, West Kerry Brewery near Dingle, and O'Hara's (Carlow) in Kilkenny. We were really impressed by the overall high quality of all of the microbrews we had (American ones can be hit or miss). I guess if you start with some of the best water in the world, you end up with good beer.

I also popped in to the Homebrew Centre in Dublin to say hello to Kevin (we may have been touring a certain macro nearby), who steered me to some great places.

If you ever find yourself near Cleveland, Ohio, I'd be more than happy to point you to some of our finer local brews.

Sincere thanks,
Jessica Ihms