Brooklyn Summer Ale - Perfect Summer Beer (If we get one)

Ah summer time, a yearly tradition of decent weather. Well, not so far this year, but there are plenty of brewers out there who make beer for all seasons. Brooklyn Brewery are no stranger to this, having a regular range of seasonals.

I picked up a couple of can's on a recent visit to Drink Store. Along with some other American Beers, which have started coming in cans to Ireland. There is a lot of debate on Canning we'll cover this off later. Lets get back to the beer.

The beer itself is described as lighter ale, still packed with flavour from the English Malt, giving the beer a lovely bready / biscuity taste, with a subtle bitterness from German and US hops. This is a very quaffable beer, which when I saw was 5% I was surprised. It definitely didn't taste it. This would be a great beer for the summer barbeque season, if we ever get one that is.

I've more reviews to follow from my haul, which includes can's of Dale's Pale Ale, Founders All Day IPA, and Modus Hoperandi, and will have these up soon.

As for canning, i'm amazed that not many people can, its easier for shipping, and will more than likely help a lot of styles, but not all. I took a sip of a can of All Day IPA and it tasted so fresh. Currently it is mainly the US producers canning, but its good to see that Thwaites have also started canning their Crafty Dan range. 

Beoir - Wayne Dunne for Chairman - Election 2014 - 2015

My name is Wayne Dunne, known on Twitter and Beoir as Irish Beer Snob. I've been a member of Beoir since 2013.

I've been writing a blog since July of 2013 related to Craft beer and related topics on a regular basis, having grown my readership steadily to on average now 2500 views a month. I have also helped local off licences and pubs with their craft beer offerings and how to market these to potential customers.

I acknowledge all the hard work that has been done by others before me, and this had laid a very strong foundation with a fantastic app, which continues to guide people to craft beer in their location. I feel very passionately about the craft beer industry in Ireland and have made some steadfast friends. 

I am running against Rueben Gray, a fellow beer blogger and current chair of Beoir. I've been reading his blog for yonks. His manifesto is here at Ruebens Blog . 

1 Grow the Beoir Membership

We currently only have 370 odd members, one of my focuses for my chairmanship will be more attention given to recruiting more members to Beoir. I propose that we, where possible have a recruitment stand at any of the major events that happen throughout the year. I would also like to host more regular informal events where everyone is welcome to come along and learn about beer, and different styles of beer. I would propose that these would fall into the remit of the regional reps, and can also be used as recruitment evenings. Alongside this, I would have membership sign up posters displayed in any pub that will display them and i've had discussions with several who would be more than willing to do that for us.

2 Engage in an "inclusive social media" approach to both new and existing members

While we have an active forum, I believe we can reach out more and go to where people want to be met, and by that I mean using more social media content, using Youtube, Facebook groups, Google Hangouts etc. We will continue to have the forum, but will be delivering our message in new ways. We will publish our Beoir magazine, and continue with our email updates, but we will compliment these things with a regular update from the PRO or Chair using youtube, google hangouts etc.


3 Build on Relationships "One for Beoir, Beoir for all"

Ultimately we support the Independent Craft producers, as a Consumer focused body. If there are any questions re the products, we should engage with the producer directly and not allow it to get out of hand, and only state the facts as we know them. We should act as a conduit between brewer and consumer. 

From an advocacy point of view I would like to strengthen our relationship with National Homebrew Club and the Dublin Beer Ladies. There is so much we can learn from these groups with regards to regular events. Also make more use of the skills within our membership for various projects that will come up during the course of the year. 

4 Educate, Inform, Demystify, and not Geekify

We need to encourage more people to try craft beer, and we will be a lot more successful if we can become more welcoming and less intimidating. Be more visual, and vocal about the fantastic products that are available, and we can help make this industry sustainable for everyone's benefit.

5 Promote, Promote, and did I say promote!?

I firmly believe that if we promote our message around the fantastic craft beers and ciders we have here in Ireland that we will build a much larger membership and more vocal consumers group who will have numbers that can not be ignored.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and your consideration for the position of Chair of Beoir.

Festivals - Sheridans Irish Food Fest & Bloom in Phoenix Park

You know it's the Summer in Ireland when nearly every weekend there is some festival or event on somewhere. This past couple of weeks have seen two of the largest festivals and there were countless others that I couldn't get to.

First up we have the Sheridan's Annual Irish Food Fest which takes place at their main warehouse / store in Carnaross in Co Meath. Their store is located at an old train station and has ample grounds for an annual festival. The format for this event is loads of Irish food producers, alongside workshops and demos from some of the finest chefs, and producers. 

Unfortunately the weather for Sheridans wasn't the best and it was wet underfoot, but this didn't stop people turning up in vast numbers to sample their way around the marquis. The workshops and demo's themselves were only €5 to attend and my wife and I attended a cookery demo by Arun from Green Saffron, Cheese making with Milleens, and a cookery demonstration by Richard Corrigan. 

There are lots of food options, hot food, a tea tent, and plenty of things to keep the little ones entertained, face painting, balloons, and a band. 

On the beer front, there was Cam from 8 degrees and local lads Paddy & Daire from Bru Brewery - it was great to see that these two tents were among the busiest at the whole festival, even when it was raining outside.

We came home with a bag full of goodies, local cheeses, local flavoured butters and puddings! It was so much fun, that i'd highly recommend it to anyone.

Next up is the annual Food, Gardening and lifestyle event Bloom in the Phoenix Park. I'd never been before, so I leapt at the opportunity to go when Paddy from Bru asked me could I give them a hand with their bar at the Bloom Inn. 

In the beer tent we had Bru, Metalman, Kinnegar, Trouble Brewing, Creans, Porterhouse, O'Haras, Rye River, White Gypsy and Stonewell Cider. There was also a cocktail bar by Teelings and Ruby Blue. Cleverly there was also and Irish Cheese Stand in the Bloom Inn, this went so well with the beers. However even though I only got a quick walk around while taking a break, I was genuinely blown away by the scale of the event and the many different things they have going on. It was also great to get feedback from people on the beers. As this was a totally different crowd to what you can expect in the RDS in September. I'd say there were a few converts that day.

Next year i'll make it and hopefully be on the other side of the bar this time.