I was fortunate enough to be sent some brewing records from a couple of Irish Ale breweries: Cairnes and Perry. I find them fascinating. As they demonstrate that Irish brewing was about a lot more than just Stout and Red Ale. Comparing and contrasting with beers brewed on the other side of the Irish Sea is dead instructive.
I would bang out a book on the topic. Except I have nothing like enough information about Irish beer.Just a couple of snapshots rather than a full-length documentary film. Frustrating, but I need to be realistic.
The material I have, however, would make a dead good talk. There's more than enough to fill 45 minutes of me waffling on. Looking at Irish beers of the 1890s and /or 1930s at comparing them to ones from similar-sized English and Scottish brewers. All I need to do is find someone willing to host it.
Anyone care to give it a punt? Anywhere in Ireland is fine by me. Or anywhere else, for that matter. I just want a good excuse to write it. I hate leaving good material unused.
If you would like to host me, get in touch. I'm incredibly flexible as to dates. If you have a brewery, recipes could be arranged. Irish, English, and Scottish. I've loads of interesting ones.
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6 comments:
How about going back to Brad Smith of Beer Smith or to the Beer Ladies podcast.
Oscar
Oscar,
Brad Smith is a wanker. Thank you.
One topic that would be interesting is the term "Irish Red". Most so called reds are just as red as many corresponding UK bitters and best bitters and I've heard that it was just a marketing ploy introduced quite recently as part of the mythology of the Irish Pub ... good bit of Craic and top o the mornin to ye sort of stuff.
Just google pics of Killian's Irish Red, Cameron's Strongarm and Brains SA as modern examples.
Bribie Smithwicks made a mild until 1920 along with stouts/porters and from 1920 to 1965 only a golden coloured bitter and a barleywine. In the 1950’s they acquired Perry’s who produced two mild ales among other beers.
With Smithwicks red it seems there was a demand for maltier sweeter thus less hoppier ale which is why they introduced it. With crystal malt only being introduced post war for biiters/pale ale and Smithwicks red using quite an amount of crystal I doubt it is a pale ale/bitter same with Irish bass post Smithwicks red until 2019. All my information is from Liam of Irish beer history and Ron Pattinson.
Most “Irish red ales” have IBU’s in the late teens mid twenties with a lot of maltiness and little in the way of hops.
Smithwicks red itself is 23 IBU. There are some above that like Dungarvan copper coast red 34bIBU and below that like Dundalk Bay Brewery Brewmaster red 15 IBU.
Oscar
As for the colour most are quite a russet to deep red, some like Sullivans Red are ruby red.
Oscar
@Bribie G
You will find everything you need to know about Irish Red in Martyn's article: https://zythophile.co.uk/2021/08/25/how-one-irishmans-ginger-beard-helped-launch-an-entirely-bogus-style-of-beer/
@Ron The German Hombrew Convention might do something focussing on the British Isles in 2025. I'll make a note regarding the topic of Irish brewing, since I think it would interest many.
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