Who Makes the Good Shit

1. Arainn Mhor Brewing Company

The beautiful island of Arainn Mhor is off the coast of County Donegal. Irish is commonly spoken and certainly the local brewery will aid your fluency. Two bottled ales are made, one golden (Ban), one dark (Rua), both made without additives or artificial carbonation.

CONTACT: Arainn Mhor Brewing Company (00 353 87 630 6856; ambrewco.com).

2. The Biddy Early Brewery

In the middle of nowhere in the west of Ireland in County Clare. Allegedly this was Ireland's first brewpub, started in 1995. It produces four beers - Black Biddy, a stout; Blonde Biddy, a pilsner; Red Biddy, a red ale; and Real Biddy, an ale.

CONTACT:The Biddy Early Brewery (00 353 65 683 6742; beb.ie).

3. Carlow Brewing Company

This microbrewery produces the award-winning O'Haras Celtic Stout, Curim Gold Celtic Wheat Beer and Molings Traditional Red Ale.

CONTACT: Carlow Brewing Company (00 353 59913 4356; carlowbrewing.com).

4. The Franciscan Well Brewery

On the site of an old monastery which had a well with healing properties, this pub makes Rebel Red (red ale), Blarney Blonde (a fruity kolsch), Shandon Stout, Rebel Lager and Friar Weisse (a white beer).

CONTACT:The Franciscan Well Brewery (00 353 21 4210130; franciscanwellbrewery.com).

5. The Hilden Brewing Company

Its motto is "keep it real" and Seamus Scullion must have done an excellent job because he celebrates no less than 25 years of brewing this November. There's a visitor centre and restaurant where you can indulge in a top-class lunch in a relaxing atmosphere. Beers include four ales and a porter.

CONTACT: Hilden Brewing Company (028 9266 0800; hildenbrewery.co.uk).

6. Kinsale Brewing Company

Founded in 1997 in the foodie capital of Ireland, this brewery produces a golden, hoppy lager using spring water, natural ingredients and no additives.

CONTACT: Kinsale Brewing Company (00 353 21 4702124; kinsalebrewing.com).

7. Strangford Lough Brewing

A Viking king has two beers named after him - Barelegs Brew and Legbiter. The latter is the name of his sword, while the grave of St Patrick has inspired St Patrick's Gold (wheat beer), St Patrick's Best and St Patrick's Ale - one smashed saint.

CONTACT: Strangford Lough Brewing Company (028 4482 1461; slbc.ie).

8. Messrs Maguire

You might get the tail end of Maguire's Octoberfest and be able to taste its new porter, specially developed for winter. Otherwise its tried and tested Rusty Red would be my tip.

CONTACT: Messrs Maguire (00 353 1670 5777).

9. The Porter House

With at least nine regulars on tap and possibly a couple of seasonal specials it's good that Porter House provides the choice. It is doing a dark lager (Vienna) for the winter, a bit like Sam Adams.

CONTACT: The Porter House (00 353 1679 8847; porterhousebrewco.com).

10. College Green Brewery

Situated in Molly's Yard, this is the city's only brewery producing Molly's Chocolate stout, Belfast blonde lager and Headless Dog amber ale.

CONTACT: College Green Brewery (028 9032 2600)

Acton's Country Pub and Microbrewery
The BrookLodge & Wells Spa
Macreddin Village
Co. Wicklow


Telephone: +353 (0) 402 36444

Fax: +353 402 36580

Email: brooklodge@macreddin.ieThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.brooklodge.com/


Barrelhead Brewery
c/o 23 Broadstone Avenue
Dublin 7

Company Profile: Though Dublin based, Barrelhead beer is brewed at the White Gypsy plant in Templemore, Co. Tipperary. The first appeared at the Craft Brewing Festival in The Franciscan Well at Easter 2009.

Beers Brewed: Bull Island Pale Ale.
Availability: At time of writing, beers were not yet on sale

Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne
c/o Tig Bhric
nr. Ballyferriter
Co. Kerry

Telephone: +353 66 9156325

Email: info@tigbhric.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.tigbhric.com

Company Profile: Established 2008. 400L brewery adjacent to Tig Bhric pub.

Beers Brewed: Béal Bán.

Availability: Beers are available during the summer season only, at Tig Bhric in Riasc, nr. Ballyferriter and Tigh Uí Chatháin in Ballyferriter.


Bluestack Brewing

Main Street
Ramelton
Co. Donegal
bluestack@mail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Not in production yet, but plans are for a Lager, an Ale, a Stout and a Wheat Beer.