I kind of failed at blogging my trip. I’ll try to get caught up. Migraines prevented me from getting to as many beer places as I’d have liked, but I still did pretty well.
Here’s what came home with me. It took two suitcases and a lot of luck!
From Ireland:
- White Gypsy – American Pale Ale – Several people recommended this to us as one of the best craft breweries in Ireland. It took a last minute cab ride across Dublin to the Drink Store to find a bottle, but I got it!
- Galway Bay Brewery – Bay Ale Irish Red Ale – A half-pint of this was my first beer in Ireland! Mom and I hiked to Oslo in Salthill so that I could get something other than Guinness and I ended up having a great chat with one of the guys who works there.
- Porterhouse Brewing Company – Celebration Stout – We had lunch at the Porterhouse bar in Dublin and I had a flight of four great beers. I’ve found a couple of their stouts here in Minnesota but this one sounded interesting. It was matured in Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey Casks.
- Brown Paper Bag Project – Oxman Dark Brown Ale – I know next to nothing about this beer except that the brewery name had popped up a few times in my research.
From England:
- The Kernel – Biere de Table – The next six are beers from The Kernel, a little brewery in London. I had emailed them to ask if their London Sour was on tap anywhere as I couldn’t make it during their open hours. They were awesome enough to invite me to visit and do a beer swap. If I recall correctly, this was a saison then aged in a wine barrel. I should have taken notes but I was just too excited. Also, it was really hard to find. Thankfully they were brewing that morning so I followed my nose!
- The Kernel – Table Beer – Haven’t tried yet, one of their commonly found beers.
- The Kernel – London Sour – This is the beer I hunted them down to try. It was a really light and refreshing sour beer, I can see it converting some people otherwise scared of sours.
- The Kernel – London Sour White Wine Barrel – They did a series of sours, each aged differently.
- The Kernel – London Sour Red Wine Barrel – See above. 🙂
- The Kernel – London Brick Collaboration Red Rye Ale – I’m a sucker for rye so I had to have this!
- The Wild Beer Company – Scarlet Fever – Again, I don’t know much about this beer. But when a bottle says “Red ale + toffee caramel + citrus hops” I don’t need to know much.
- Weird Beard Brew Co – Saison 14 – This goes on the list of “beers I bought because the name popped up in my research.” Well, that and “beers I bought because I know someone with a weird beard.”
- Partizan Brewing – 7 Grain – Another London brewery
From Wales:
- Brains Craft Brewery – Boilermaker Welsh Whiskey IPA – Brains isn’t really a craft brewery, more a smaller “crafty” branch of the big S.A. Brains operation. But this was an appealing find because Brains makes the mash for Pendaryn Distillery, and this IPA was then matured with Penderyn whisky infused oak chips.
From Spain:
- Nomada Brewing Company – Gato Negro Black Brett IPA – Wait, Spain?? WTF?! I didn’t go to Spain but when I placed an order for a couple of these bottles to get delivered to my hotel, this popped up on the store’s list of sours and I was intrigued. So one Spanish beer snuck in.
Glassware and Other Booze
You know what would go well with a suitcase FULL of beer?? Some breakable glassware and other booze!!
Left to right:
- Bunratty Irish Potcheen – Apparently “Irish Moonshine.” Bought in a souvenir shop so I fully expect it to be horrifying. The bottle claims it was banned in 1661 and only recently legal again. Kitsch level is high, expectations are not.
- Jameson glass from the distillery
- Guinness 2013 St. James Gate glass – apparently they do a different design each year.
- Guinness new style pint glass – there are ridges on the side and an embossed harp. Apparently this will be the new standard Guinness glass.
- Buckingham Palace tot glass
- Craft Beer Company pint glass
- Tiny Rebel half pint glass
- Penderyn whisky nosing glass
- Penderyn Distillery spirits sampler – Five Vodka, Madeira finished whisky, Brecon Gin, Merlyn Irish Cream Liqueur
- Penderyn Distillery whisky sampler – Madeira finished (their flagship product), Sherrywood, and Peated