TOPIC:

Harry Byrnes, on the Howth Road, is my local (literally 5 minutes away). I hope this doesn't sound like I'm shilling for them, but I thought it might be worth talking about their new house beers if anyone missed their announcements about it on facebook, twitter etc.

Over the past year they've expanded their selection of Irish craft beers to Galway Hooker and Kinnegar Scraggy Bay, on tap, as well as a respectable selection of the usual suspects in bottles.

The bartenders had told me that the determinant they were using in introducing more craft taps was simply whether the ones they were putting in were outselling macro offerings. So, for example, when Galway Hooker turned out to be outselling Miller, they replaced the Miller tap with Scraggy Bay and started to see how that sold, with a view towards getting rid of something else (IIRC). I've no idea how their figures were actually working out, but anecdotally it seemed like any of the time I am in there there at least a few other people were on the craft offerings.

Anyway, to get to the point I see they've introduced three house beers. I assumed they would all be brewed by the same people, but it looks like it's a bit of a medley of suppliers. From their Facebook:-

[quote:36z898ny]Beer No.1 Parish Porter. A stout. Our gift to the Parish of Clontarf. Brewed by our good friends, Galway Hooker (Co. Galway)

Beer No.2 Battle Ale to celebrate the Battle of Clontarf. A red ale. Brewed by the very popular, Bo Bristle (Co. Offaly)

Beer No.3 Brian Brew. Celebrating the man himself with a Blonde Ale. Brewed by the very talented people from Kinnegar Brewing (Co Donegal) [/quote:36z898ny]

I think this is pretty brave stuff, I hope it works out for them. I note that they're all session beers coming in at under 5% ABV. I can't help but feel this is probably a good call in a pub whose clientele are more likely to be coming from a background of drinking multinational offerings (at least at first) and are going to be expecting pints of beer of a sessionable strength.

I'm really hoping the Parish Porter is good - it would be fantastic to have a craft porter on tap in there that's drinkable.

Rebadges of hooker stout, bristle amber and scraggy bay?

I'm hoping to get up there at some point this week (tricky with a new baby in the house). I'll ask if it's re-badged.. Wouldn't necessarily bother me, at least it's not Tennants!

I'm not sure you could get away with telling people that Scraggy Bay is a blonde, and Bristle amber a red, but maybe.... Would have thought, if it's a rebadge, you'd just say it's Brian Brew pale ale etc.

I'd guess the red is more likely to be Rowers.