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Distributors will take 20 - 30% off a brewery to distribute their wares, so I can imagine the cost increasing a great deal to recover this expense. Excise is a big factor in the cost of beer here. If it was reduced further I am sure craft beer production would flourish, both because of reduced production cost but also because punters wouldn't recoil in disgust at the cost of of some of the stronger imported ales and porters from Britain and elsewhere. It'd really very frustrating trying to find a decent pint outside of Dublin city centre. I live in Swords and have to settle for Guinness if I want anything with some discernable flavour.

i hear ya...not a bad pint of beamish in certain parts of the south side..i tend to keep an eye on messers and hope they have their porter or extra in, but its seasonal...nice pint of xxxx (p.h)keeps me going also..other than that its st peters or anything with some taste from the shop if ive none ready but again something like a bottle of st peters is really pricey.

St Peter's produce some fine beer, no doubt about it. My favourite is their old style porter that is a blend old and young ale. I had a very strange experience with some their Best Bitter in the Porterhouse last year though. I had finished off some Goose Island IPA and decided to next go for the aforementioned bitter but was very surprised to discover that is tasted of vinegar on my first mouthful. I don't think there was anything wrong with the beer, I think it was more a case of nothing being able to follow the Goose Island IPA such is the flavour it packs. I suppose at nearly 60 IBUs it'll drown out the flavour in anything that follows. More of an end of the night brew, methinks.

I get the feeling things are changing. The increasing availability of decent imports in off licences suggests that the Irish are thirsty for good beer. I'm certain there's potential scope for plenty of good domestic beers should they appear. One of the problems, at the moment, is that good beer is seen as an elitist thing. This could change though. Any of my Guinness or even lager drinking friends who I've bought a good beer for have appreciated how special it tastes. Most, but not all, of the time they wouldn't be interested in pursuing good beers as a hobby but I think in the right circumstances they can really appreciate a good beer*. I reckon if more craft Irish beers became available, it wouldn't just be the conniscours who drink them.


*any nerds like might be interested to know that the most popular foreign beers with my lager drinking mates were Fullers ESB and Duvel.

[quote:12o7o7h5]any nerds like might be interested to know that the most popular foreign beers with my lager drinking mates were Fullers ESB and Duvel.[/quote:12o7o7h5]

Well, they're some damn flavourful beers. If they can handle/appreciate that kind of flavour why on earth do they drink the regular stuff? I am aware that some people just don't care for the variety and it could be some manner of physiological thing whereby us beer lovers recieve more of an impact and emotive memory from the new flavours that lead us to seek out more and be more adventurous.

I certainly have distinct memories associated with different beers and love the experience of re living the good times I had while drinking them. For example, Brooklyn Lager vividly brings me back to a great trip I had to New York and Adnam Best Bitter always reminds me of sitting outside the Crown Pub with my Dad, where my Grandfather lives in England and TSB reminds me of my first outings to the Porterhouse with friends.

Perhaps some people just don't taste the flavours as intently and don't form these associations and so don't have the drive to try new things.

"Hendrixcat":lk8xmj66 wrote: Well, they're some damn flavourful beers. If they can handle/appreciate that kind of flavour why on earth do they drink the regular stuff? I am aware that some people just don't care for the variety and it could be some manner of physiological thing whereby us beer lovers recieve more of an impact and emotive memory from the new flavours that lead us to seek out more and be more adventurous.

[/quote:lk8xmj66]
I'm not certain, but I don't buy into the notion that I appreciate flavour more than them. I think that years of exposure to advertising has programmed their minds into buying certain beers when they go into pubs. Also, their main motive for drinking is to socialise and possibly to get drunk. Drinking flavoursome beer doesn't really matter then. When they're drinking at home or at parties they'd usually just go for the cheapest stuff available (Dutch Gold or Pratzky), which I think at least has some logic too it. Lately, one or two of them have been starting their nights with something nice (usually London Pride) before hitting the cheap stuff.