Dublin Brew Beats Them All A potent brew called D'Arcy's Dublin Stout took the gold medal for best stout at the Stockholm Beer Festival last week.

Brewed in Smithfield in Dublin (in the shadow of the nearby distillery) D'Arcy's trounced dozens of contenders including Murphy's and Beamish (winner for the last three years), the strangely named Nightmare stout from England and the Swedes' local treacle, which is called Jamtland's Porter.

Success appears to have gone to the Dublin Brewing Company's head, so to speak, as it now claims that its product exudes the "complex flavours of espresso, berry jam, walnut, cedar and citrus." The question is: what will Uncle Arthur do about these upstarts from the northside?

 

Beering All For the Good Brew Internationally renowned beer writer, Michael 'The Beer Hunter' Jackson, was at The Porterhouse, Dublin's microbrewery, last Friday for the judging in the second Independent Brewer's Festival. With 23 beers being poured, the panel had an enviable job evaluating them.

The Dublin Brewing Company's D'Arcy's, took the laurels for best stout, and the overall crown for highest score; best lager was Irish Brewing Company Brew No 1; best keg ale was Finian's Gold, brewed by Celtic Brewing Co in Meath; and best cask ale, Glen Ale, came from Whitewater Brewing Co in Belfast, which also sent a fine Belfast porter.

Incidentally, the host's own Wrassler XXXX, which Michael Collins used to drink on his day off in Clonakilty, now brewed by The Porterhouse, was just a half point behind D'Arcy's - but Oliver Hughes took a medal just last week for his pub's plain porter, a might drink.

The festival continues all weekend through Patrick's Day.