A bit more info about this year's festival. Special festival bars and third-pint measures! <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->
[quote:3tx8knvu]The 8th Independent Beer and Whiskey festival will get underway this Thursday March 24th and run for ten days in all Porterhouse bars until Sunday April 3rd. The festival will showcase beer and whiskey from craft brewers and distillers across the four provinces of Ireland. Throughout the festival period, enthusiasts will be invited to special tutored tastings of both beer and whiskey to sample the brews and to learn about Irish craft beer and whiskey. This is the largest festival to date at The Porterhouse with fourteen breweries and all Irish distilleries exhibiting.
This year due to the scale of the festival, each Porterhouse Bar will have its own dedicated festival bar with festival samples, which are a third of a pint on sale for €1.50. Commenting on the festival, MD of The Porterhouse Group, Oliver Hughes said "Metalman, Clanconnel, Dungarvan and West Kerry brewery. These are names of some of the new breweries set up by individuals, serving their local area. It is with great considerable pride we welcome this fighting spirit to our 8th annual festival. Irish craft brewing has never looked so good. Think global. Drink local. Support local." Five independent judges will judge the overall beer of the festival and the winner will exhibit their product on draught at all porterhouse bars for one year. The Porterhouse recently won a gold medal for the best stout in the world at the Brewing Industry International Award at Burton - on - Trent earlier in the month. The medal was awarded to their Plain Porter, which is the second time the beer has received the highly acclaimed accolade.
The festival has always attracted large numbers, not just the beer and whiskey connoisseurs but also those interested in learning about Irish craft brews. It will showcase Irish craft beer and whiskey brewed and distilled in Ireland for both the Irish market and the export market across Europe and the United States, with profits remaining in the country - supporting the Irish Economy. The ten day extravaganza will run in the six Porterhouse bars located in Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Bray, Glasnevin, Covent Garden-London and in the latest addition to the family, Wall Street New York. The message of the festival is, support the independent brewers and distillers by drinking sensibly, 100% Irish! The Porterhouse supports sensible drinking.
Breweries exhibiting include, The Porterhouse Brewing Company, Carlow Brewing Company, Dungarvan Brewing Company, Hilden Brewery, White Gypsy, Franciscan Well, Tig Bhric Brewery in West Kerry, Galway Hooker, Metalman, Messrs Maguire, Whitewater Brewery, Trouble Brewing, Inismacsaint Brewing Company and Clanconnel.
Beers include a range of stouts, lagers, ales ad IPAs.
Many of these beers have already been exported across the USA and Europe. The Porterhouse beers can be found in Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, UK, and across the USA in both draught and bottled form.
Distilleries include IDL, Cooley, Bushmills, and Midleton.
Tutored beer and whiskey tastings will take place in each bar throughout the festival. The tasting calendar will be available on Porterhouse Bars Facebook and on <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="
www.theporterhouse.ie">
www.theporterhouse.ie on the events page. The first tasting kicks off Thursday 24th with a beer tasting in both Porterhouse Central at 7pm and Bray at 8pm. Whiskey tasting will take place on Thursday 24th in Porterhouse Temple Bar at 7pm and Bray at 8pm.
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