Upcoming Events & Changes

Good morning everyone. 
Not really a blog post of much of a subject but there are a few things I wanted to share with you.

First, i've set up a facebook page for the blog - which I hope to be more interactive with people who don't really use twitter. So if you can please like and share the page. So just search under Irish Beer Snob. Here's the link too www.facebook.com/irishbeersnob

Now for some upcoming events, i'm going to be going to but also to raise awareness for as they are some great events. 

Saturday 3rd of May sees the second pop up from the #Brewsweplate team, Eric & Floriane. My write up on the previous event is here. This event is paired with Brown Paper Bag Project in the Powerscourt Centre in Dublin 2. The event starts at 8pm and is €65 for a five course meal with each course matched to a specific beer. Tickets are available through this link on Eventbrite come along and eat great food, and drink great beers.

Saturday 10th of May sees the Boyne Valley Food Series arrive at Bru Brewery in Trim, County Meath for a night of food and beer. There will be local food producers in the brewery who will have used Bru's beers in their foods. Tickets are €20, if you are interested in going contact the brewery via their email, [email protected] it promises to be a great evening.

And that is that for me.

Hopefully i'll see you at some of these events, come over and say Hi!

Price of Craft Beer - Are craft beer drinkers being taken advantage of?

Something has been troubling me for a while now. It is undoubtedly a great time in the Irish Craft Beer scene, many new entrants, and more to come. Obviously there are a lot of passionate people out there making great beers, but there is something that has been gnawing at me for a while. The price of the actual beer in the pubs we frequent. 

In these austere times people are looking for value, and craft beer has benefited from this change in consumer trends, where people will happily buy an artisan product for a little bit more for an undoubted step up in flavour from a macro beer. There is also an element of the green flag in supporting the Irish producers. However there seem to be more and more examples of pricing that can only be described as eye watering.

While it is a positive to see on the one hand publicans traditionally in neck deep with the Heineageo duopoly taking on Irish Craft Beer, and international craft beer. It is going to be more damaging in the long term in my opinion if a large premium above a macro beer on a craft beer. It seems to be a token effort.

@irishbeersnob @11pmSomewhere @BeerPadawan @beinmysolo Exhibit A - price for Galway Hooker pic.twitter.com/PxIo9arxoo
— Aidan Sweeney (@sweeney_aidan) April 13, 2014

Galway Hooker is a fine beer - but, €6.70 for a bottle? Granted a 500ml bottle but even so. 

Now in an ideal world we'd all be holding hands singing kumbaya, drinking loads of craft beer, but that is a bit much considering a pint of heineken in the same establishment is a good euro less. 

But let's face it brewers don't start brewing just for the hell of it. They are setting up a business where their aim is to make money. They sell their beer at a set price to the publican direct or through a distributor. They hold no control over the price it is sold at in the off license or pub. Who also need a margin to make their profit and cover their costs. That is how capitalism works.

However, in this fledgling industry, the common joe soap is not going to be swayed by a story of two people who gave up careers in x and y to brew beer. Oh btw its an extra €1.50 a go. The story alone is not enough to justify to these consumers to take the plunge and buy a proper Irish beer. The problem itself isn't unique to Ireland, or even consumers here's a tweet I came across the other day.

It frustrates me a lot that a beer that leaves here at £2.60 a (750ml) bottle is in a bar about 20 miles away being sold at £15 #greedy
— The Wild Beer Co (@WildBeerCo) April 17, 2014

The facts remain, less than 3% of the Irish beverage market is craft beer, it is growing at a great rate, but the long term viability on the industry is contingent on more craft beer being sold, and it would be naive of any new entrants to solely aim at this 3% there is 97% of the market to aim at. Higher prices will not grow this industry. It could however potentially harm it.

Yes I know American craft brewers have a much lower cost per unit than the cost per unit than in an Irish set up. The Excise rebate helps with that - and I doubt there are a huge amount of brewers charging publicans a large amount more on a keg than macro producers. 

There is one example i've been made aware of recently that highlights this. The brewer in question distributes through a distributor, they have a nationwide set price per unit. Every pub gets the same cost per case. The variance on the price of a bottle was from €4.70 to €8.50. I can imagine the feelings of this brewer when they heard that top end price - who is going to pay that? I also understand publicans in major urban centres have large over heads but when this particular beer was also available on draft for between €5.40 - €5.70 a pint within 10 minutes of the €8.50 price in the same large urban area - as a consumer you have to ask, is that value for money? I would argue that price for a pint versus 8 quid for a bottle is supremely better value for money. Maybe Mary Harney had a point when she said "to shop around"

To quote Sarah Roarty 

"It's really important to keep beer in the hands of the people, not to gentrify it and make it so expensive that only high earners can afford the exclusive beverage" 

I think that sums it all up for me. 

I'd be interested to hear / read your thoughts, you can contact me on the twitter, or by email or comment below.

Craft Beer Revolution in the Royal County - Part 3

So this train just keeps on trundling on, the craft beer train that is. I'm glad to say since I last posted about my native Navan in Oct/Nov last year there has been steady progress in bars stocking craft beer, international and Irish.

The award winning Central Bar in Navan has broadened its range once again, and to celebrate their increased range they hosted a Craft Beer tasting on Thursday 10th April. Now carrying 4 Irish on Draught in the main bar, and complemented by a wide range of both Irish & International bottles. 

A table full of samples! (Photo taken from the central's facebook page)

For a Thursday evening the place was buzzing, loads of craft beer virgins in attendance. Hopefully now they'll be asking for craft beers in future. The event had 50 people there, a great amount.  I was the loon running around in the burgundy polo shirt.

In attendance on the night were the following;

1: Patrick Hurley from Brú Brewery

2: John Devlin from Premier Beers

3: Phil Tavey from Grand Cru repping the Porterhouse beers.

On draught now, the Central are pouring, Porterhouse's Plain Stout, Herrsbrucker Pilsner, and Hop Head with the ever popular Brú Rua taking the fourth tap. So you got a sample of each. John was also giving out samples from the wide range from Premier.

Each of the lads talked about their beers in detail, with Patrick bringing you through the brewing process with sample grains and hops. Then Phil as a qualified Beer Sommelier (one of only 4 in Ireland) explaining what kind of flavours and aromas we should expect. It was very informative and enjoyable experience. Was great to finally meet Phil after interacting a good bit on twitter. He also is a Punk Rock DJ so keep an eye out for him in The Thomas House in Dublin.

To top it off then a pint of your choice from the selection and nibbles. For €10 this was unbelievable value. I got talking to Mick the bar manager and Mick the owner, that could get confusing. Its great to see their enthusiasm for it and hopefully it continues to grow for them and they take on more and more of the many interesting beers out there. Specially as Grand Cru carry some great beers.

If I was to be a little critical It may have worked better in one of the other bars upstairs, but when speaking to Mick (Bar Manager) it became clear they only had 16 confirmed paid in advance, and a load on the list that hadn't paid, and some who just turned up for the craic. The staff handled the extra workload admirably and were great.

Also I do feel the prices on some of the bottled beer is a little on the high side. Given there is already a premium over the main stream products (70c in the case of Porterhouse Plain vs Guiness) its a bit of a stretch to pay €6.10 for O'Hara's Pale Ale. Hopefully that will be kept under review. Don't get me wrong its a great beer, but it can be got in Dublin City Centre in D2 for €5.50 for a pint or less. 

The €5 Beer Paddle - 4 samples of Irish Craft!

As an aside I was there in advance of Thursday and had a paddle, made locally in Carnaross these things are great. Caulfield Boards (http://www.caulfieldcountryboards.ie/) excellent craftmanship on the boards and work really well. I really want to get myself one from their shop for a cheese board, or even a serving platter for a roast. 

The Central is listed now on Beoirfinder, and proudly displaying a Beoir "Irish Craft Beer on Sale Here" sticker. 

Hopefully I get to start writing more about the scene closer to home and spread the good word. In Navan itself now, we have two very good bars serving a good range of Craft, The Central and Smyth's on the Square. Beggy's a very popular spot on Bridge St has just taken in a Brú Rí tap, along with Rebel Red from Franciscan Well - baby steps, but progress none the less.

St Erhard - Bamberg - A Kellerbier

So, in a first for me, i'm trying a Kellerbier from Bamberg in Germany. The Brewery is St Erhard, and they are new comers to the blossoming German Craft beer scene. The guys got in touch via my Blog. They are currently looking for distribution in Ireland, and they've a guy in Dublin.

As a brewery they are doing something very different, and have started out east, and are now concentrating on building globally. I really look forward to seeing what else they come up with.

We met up in Trinity and I gleefully collected my package, it probably looked very suspicious! Anyway, i'm happy to be writing this post about beer, rather than Manchester United being dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich!

Firstly, lets just tackle the clear bottle, there is a protective film which shields from UV light, and i'm happy to say it seems to have worked. This beer is definitely not lightstruck

The listed malts were Cara Munich, Pilsner, and Vienna and hopped with Tettnanger. The beer carries a light hoppy aroma, and pours dark. There is a lovely light carbonation which helps with the malty and fruity flavour. It pours in at 5% abv. But is beautifully balanced, with no one particular flavour dominating the other. I can imagine supping this during those darker winter months. Hopefully i'll get to Germany in the future and try in its natural environment.

Currently unavailable in Ireland, you can buy direct from the brewer and it is shipped EU wide for a very reasonable €10.00 delivery charge. The link for the shop is here