A Wee Introduction To Irish Beers

Here's to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold pint -- and another one!
--Traditional Irish toast

Saint Patrick's Day is the perfect occasion to visit one of the local Irish pubs that have opened recently and tip back a pint, not just a generic American beer with green food coloring, but a true Irish beer on tap. Don't know a cold draught from a rough draft? You've come to the right blog.

First, some definitions:

Draught/draft - refers to beer that is served from a keg or tap at a bar, or a canned beer that contains a device (“widget”) that pressurizes the beer to simulate the foam head that forms when beer is served on tap.

Irish stout - a dark, rich colored beer made with roasted malt or barley, popular in Ireland.

Ale - a beer with a higher hop content, which produces its characteristic bitter flavor.

Lager - a gold or amber beer fermented and conditioned at low temperatures.

Here are some popular Irish beers:

Guinness Draught is pretty much the gold standard of Irish beer. Its dark color and tan foamy head belie a light roasted flavor.

Murphy's Irish Stout is similar to Guinness Draught, first brewed in the 1800s in Ireland but now brewed in England.

Carlow O'Hara's Keltic Stout (a.k.a. O'Hara's Irish Stout) may be harder to find but it’s worth the effort. It’s an authentic rendition by a modern craft brewer in Ireland that makes beer the old fashioned way.

Smithwick's Ale is Ireland's best-selling ale, reddish-brown with a carmel-like flavor and a slight bitter finish. If you want to impress your date or your server, pronounce it correctly: "SMIT-ticks."

Harp Lager is a smooth, golden-colored lager that is similar to American-style lagers. It's a good choice if you want a cold one that is in keeping with the occasion, but not too exotic. The harp is a national symbol of Ireland.

And now, as the bartender fills your glass, perhaps with a hearty Irish stout, here's another Irish toast to share with friends:

May your neighbours respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!