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Okay, so I’m Irish, but I am also from Northern California and I need hops! I have been deprived for about 11 days now. I was feeling cranky and even snapped at the info desk lady because she wouldn’t put the Newgrange tour tickets on our credit card instead insisting we go to the National Bank of Ireland (closed by this time) and get some dollar slaying Euro’s! I wanted, no, I needed a serious dose of alpha acids!
I strayed from the smooth, creamy, nitrogenated, 4- point something alcohol, easy drinking Stouts and Irish Ales about twelve minutes after seven this evening. At the Elephant & Castle restaurant, in the Temple Bar area, a Goose Island IPA had its way with my taste buds. On the lighter side of IPA’s (I’m from California remember) but my tongue had forgotten and was not complaining. Oh it was Grand!
We toured the Guinness Storehouse today and I was really impressed with the foresight Arthur Guinness possessed. He signed a 9000-year lease for the property the brewery was then built on! I wished I had seen that executed lease before I signed our measly 20 year lease for the Alehouse! He basically secured rights to a major mountain fed stream with the seemingly perfect brewing water, and decided to drop all but stout production from a pretty good-sized brewery (although Kilkenny would challenge that)! They have been brewing for 250 years with no end in sight. Amazing!
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I have a newfound respect for Guinness.
While we were in Killkenny I noticed a tap shield that said Kilkenny Irish Red from Guinness. Since we were having a pint of the town’s flagship Smithwick’s IRA, I figured we’d see it again and try it next. The occasion never arose and I had been kicking myself [...]
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As luck would have it, we drove smack dab into the Jameson Distillery in Middleton, just a few kilometers from Cork. Our timing was divine as the instant we walked through the rather large arched barndoor-style entrance we were summoned for the next tour! This is not a working Distillery any more (as we were [...]
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Monday morning started fairly early around 3am Ireland time. A couple of Jackholes decided to go out in the courtyard for a smoke (apparently Europeans haven’t read the Surgeon General’s Report) and have a Bull-Horn loud conversation. We both woke up and in our best Irish dialect said “oh what the foak?” After a quick [...]
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Okay, so what’s the big deal about driving on the left? It’s exciting, in an “I’m getting away with something” kind of way! You’d be thrown in jail back home if you survived…… I highly recommend trying it. I will admit it is a bit odd to have someone coming at you on [...]
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We’re in the upper room under the gable! Honk if you go by!
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Hey Americans!
I think we should all salute the under-appreciated fact that we have road signs at the intersections of all (okay most) of our roads! You see, here on the Emerald Isle, signs and street names are a mere luxury! The exception being if you are a pub and happen to serve Guinness (definitely well [...]
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Well, after being awake for 40 plus hours we finally arrived on the Emerald Isle about 8pm Dublin time! The good folks at British Airways changed our connecting flight to Ireland but never told anyone! We spend a lovely 6 hours @ heathrow w/ way too much “carry-on” luggage to get into London proper and [...]
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On my way to the Emerald Isle with the loverly Mrs. An Irish Beer Safari if you like! I’ll try to update the blog as we travel. Expect some cool, old traditional pubs and beautiful countryside! Here’s to driving on the left!
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Hoppy Holidays from the Auburn Alehouse!
Santa came a bit early this year (I guess we have been a good little brewery) and I am excited to report that the PU240 is scheduled to be tapped sometime tomorrow, Friday the 4th. Brewer Bill (aka Santa) stuffed the “weapons grade ale” into the #3 brite tank yesterday. [...]
