This past week, I have had the distinct pleasure to visit Ireland for a second time.  Most travellers will go to a place in Europe once, tour around for a couple days and be done with it.  However, Ireland has always been a country of interest to me.  This stems from a strong liking for Irish music, Irish dancing, Irish food, Irish history and most importantly Irish beer.

 

 

 

After discovering a place once (Dublin), I believe it is truly important to go back and search out even more hidden gems and write about them in a blog for your website.  This past trip brought me into the world of Irish craft beer, so I ventured to the impressive Temple Bar district and spent most of my nights in the Porterhouse Pub.

 

 

 

Upon entering this very popular hangout for both locals and tourists alike, one would be lucky if on any day, any time there was a place to sit.  That was one of the difficulties was waiting for some people to finally leave, so their spot could be immediately occupied.

 

 

 

Finally, when the level of comfort is found by laying claim to a spot on any of the three floors, the deafening sound of people chatting and laughing along with the Irish band that is playing on the second floor in a small deck will make you have to speak louder to your drinking companion(s).

 

 

 

However, I do encourage our beer lover’s to tour the whole premises before taking a seat.  On the walls, like Delirium Café, are beer paraphernalia along with recognition for the awards won by the brewery and their beers.  Televisions around host ads and provide a camera view of the band that is playing their hearts out upstairs.

 

 

 

Now if the atmosphere alone does not put you into a drinking mood, then it is important to grab a menu.  The place does serve food, has wines, cocktails, etc, but it is the beer that is the most interesting.  Porterhouse brews their own beers that are available on tap and in order to allow the beer connoisseur a chance to try the Porterhouse collection, sample trays of stouts, ales and lagers can be purchased at: three 7oz Glasses for 5 Euros, a deal in my book.

 

 

 

Currently, I am adding these beers to the WBC website, so the full profiles are there, but the beers of mention are: Plain Porter, Oyster Stout, Wrasslers 4X Stout, Porterhouse Red, TSB, An Brain Blasta, Hop Head, Temple Brau, Hersbrucker and the Chiller.  All great tasting craft beers with some award winners, such as the Plain Porter, which was according to the brewery coined “Best Stout in the World” and a double gold medal winner, I will let you decide this!!!

 

 

 

Aside from sampling some house brew, the menu also offers a range of craft beers from American breweries: Anchor, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada, Lefthand Brewing, Odells, Anderson Valley, Flying Dog and Victory.  And for my Canadian friends, out of all the great craft beer that we brew, only Moosehead represented our country on the menu.  The beer menu is quite extensive with well over 200 beers available from all over the world.

 

While visiting the brewery every night I was in Dublin, I enjoyed a Flying Dog Double Dog IPA, which was a very hoppy/malty beer that packed a punch at 11.5%.  I also enjoyed the Baltica 5 from Russia, I have to say that the smoothness and slight fruit flavour became an instant favorite in my books.

 

 

 

For those Belgian beer lovers that enjoy travelling the world to see a Belgian beer section, the menu offers Belgian Wit, Trappist, Fruit and Ales, with an extensive list of your favorite Belgian beers.

 

 

 

However, we come to Ireland to sample the local craft beer of the area, when travelling it is imperative to sample the beers that are hard to obtain anywhere else in the world.  Fortunately, all the regular beers on tap from Porterhouse, I had a chance to sample and I have to say that my favorite stout was in fact the Plain Porter (Stout – 4.3%), favorite ale was the Porterhouse Red (traditional red ale – 4.4%) and favorite lager was the Temple Brau (There No.1 selling Lager – 4.3%).

 

 

 

Next time you are in Dublin – visit the Porter Brewing Company and enjoy the atmosphere and great selection of beer.

 

 

 

Cheers!!!!

 

 

 

Roy Pogorzelski