With St.Patrick’s Day fast approaching, Manny, our RBG (Resident Beer Geek) has come up with a little info on Irish Red Brews.

Outside of Guinness, Smithwicks Irish red might be the most popular Irish beer in the States. It may be surprising for some to learn, that Irish red ales aren’t a particularly popular style of beer in Ireland. Stouts, lagers, and pale ales all being more popular. Due to this, the history of the style is fairly shallow. The first Irish red was believed to have been made by Smithwicks in the 1700s as an attempt to replicate an English pale ale with more focus on the malt. The modern style is made with a moderate amount of kilned malts and roasted barley to give it the color for which it’s named. Irish red’s typically have a moderate hop character and caramel malt sweetness. Notes of toffee, tea, and buttered bread should also be expected. We will be sampling a few Irish Reds on Friday March 16th. Cheers and Happy St. Paddys Day!