Dimensions Weekly Men's Magazine

Guinness ain't the only great beer from Ireland
Samuel Adam's Irish Red, Guinness Pub Draught, Boulevard Irish Ale, Harpoon Celtic Ale, Smithwick's Irish Ale

Of the Irish, the travel journalist Paul Theroux once wrote: "I cannot remember any people so quickly hospitable or easier to meet." And, he might have added, so happy to stop for a pint and a spot of the craic, that uniquely Irish form of fun. Here, for those of you who are Irish or merely aspire to be, is a guide to those essential elements in any Celtic revelry: Irish stout, ale, and porter.

Three Classic Stouts
Joe's Bar down the street may be serving green lager this St. Patrick's Day, but in Ireland the color of beer year-round is black—as in dry, roasty stout, the Blessed Trinity being Guinness, Murphy's, and Beamish. Poured slowly, to allow the prized creamy head to form, these three beers are as emblematic of Eire as shamrocks and Celtic crosses.

By far the best-known black beer the world over, Guinness is considered by some to be the standard by which all other stouts are judged. Others, like myself, may suggest that its character has been dulled over the past decade and a half. Regardless of your view, however, it is still a fine, dry, appetizing pint.

Poorer County Cork cousins to that Dublin-brewed juggernaut, Beamish and Murphy's represent two different takes on the Irish-stout style—the former more roasted and firmer than Guinness and the latter more malty and a bit chocolaty. For oysters on the half-shell or smoked salmon, choose Beamish or Guinness, but with roasted or grilled meats from pork to beef, try the Murphy's.

Tasting Notes
Beamish Irish Stout
Fairly full-bodied, this stout has a roasty character with a pleasing hint of smoke and gentle coffee notes.

Boulevard Irish Ale
The use of some darker malts give this ale a toasty, almost roasty appeal, while a light, earthy hop bitterness keeps its fruity flavors fully in balance.

Diamond Bear Irish Red
The beautiful reddish-amber color of this ale hints at the notes of caramel, butterscotch, restrained fruitiness, and light roast in its flavor.

Finnegans Irish Amber
More deep gold than amber, this relatively light-bodied brew is neither overly sweet nor particularly bitter, with a dry, quick finish.

George Killian's Irish Red
The most light-bodied of the beers listed here, Killian's has a malt accent that distinguishes it from its paler kin, but still drinks light and refreshing.

Great Divide Saint Bridget's Porter
A trace of chocolate in the aroma of this deep-brown porter signals its sweet mocha start, followed by a roastier, coffee-ish body and toasty finish.

Guinness Pub Draught
It might look intimidating, but this famed stout is fairly light in body, dry, and roasty. It finishes with a hint of burnt toast.

Harpoon's Celtic Ale
Rich caramel and butterscotch nose, with sumptuous malt and soft, woody hop in the body and finish.

O'Hara's Irish Red Ale
Robust toffee notes accented by hints of chocolate and vanilla announce the arrival of this malty, raisiny ale with very gentle bitterness and a dry finish.

Murphy's Irish Stout
The softest of Ireland's Big Three, this is a malty, softly chocolaty ale, without the appetizing dryness of Guinness or Beamish.

O'Hara's Irish Stout
Some chocolate sweetness up front is followed by a firmly malted yet dry and roasted character, then an appetizingly bitter and faintly tart finish.

Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale
A rich and fruity aroma precedes a full and rather biscuity malt body accented by notes of cocoa, caramel, and red apple, concluding in a dry, malty finish.

Smithwick's Irish Ale
Lightly sweet and butterscotch on the nose, medium-bodied, and gently fruity, with a drying note of bitterness on the finish.

The Latest and Greatest Stout
While casual observers can be forgiven for thinking that Ireland offers but three stouts (or even just one!), there are actually many such brews produced throughout the Emerald Isle. Alas, these beers rarely used to make it out of their native land. That situation that has now changed, thankfully, with the arrival in America of O'Hara's Irish Stout.

The pitch-black color and complex, roasted, almost winelike aroma are the first hints that O'Hara's is bigger and bolder than most of the competition. It was a champion in its class at the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2000, and it has turned more than a few heads with a rich, substantial character that recalls the way certain Irish stouts once tasted. It's dry enough for oysters, but sufficiently robust to be enjoyed with meat and cheese dishes.

Red Ales
Killian's Irish Red
The color of Irish beer is not a uniform black; there's a parallel, though much less celebrated, tradition of Irish red ales, as well. Probably the best known globally is Smithwick's—pronounced "Smid-ick's"—a toasty, faintly caramel-like ale from the folks who brew Guinness, and a relatively recent arrival in the United States. Although brewed to a slightly different recipe than the stuff sold in Eire, it remains a more robust beer than the Coors-produced George Killian's Irish Red, which is actually a lager rather than an ale.

The Carlow Brewing Company, crafters of O'Hara's Irish Stout, also offers its interpretation of a red, and it's even more full-bodied and satisfying. O'Hara's Irish Red Ale is a raisiny, slightly toffee-ish ale that no one is going to mistake for a reddish-hued American pretender.

Irish Beer Made in America
America's indigenous breweries produce more than their share of Irish-style beers, and in at least one instance, partaking of a glass or two can mean doing some good in the world.

Finnegans Irish Amber may not be as full-bodied and complex as some true Irish ales, but profits from its sales go to community-outreach projects for the working poor and homeless of Minnesota. Even if you can't buy the beer (sold only in its home state), you can still donate to the Finnegans Community Fund or help out by buying a T-shirt or hat through www.finnegans.org.

Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale
On a less altruistic front, Boston's Harpoon Brewery pays homage to that city's Irish population with its malt-accented Celtic Ale. The regional brewery's significantly larger neighbor, the Boston Beer Company, makes the nationally available Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale.

Down in the Southeast, Arkansas residents enjoy the more moderately malty Irish Red from Diamond Bear Brewing, while Midwesterners seem to prefer a drier, more hoppy take on the style, typified by the toasty Irish Ale (from Kansas City's Boulevard Brewing). It's a seasonal beer hoarded annually by loyalists. Further west, Denver's Great Divide Brewing flies the black-beer banner with its widely acclaimed Saint Bridget's Porter.

Pairing Beer and Food
Traditional Irish cuisine is rustic and especially delicious when you use quality ingredients and the right ales to complement the hearty dishes. Some of the best salmon in the world is fished off the Irish coast and gently smoked in the south. As an appetizer, it partners beautifully with a glass of cool, though not cold, dry Irish stout. Traditional potato-based side dishes like cabbage-rich colcannon or the savory griddle bread known as boxty provide a fine excuse to break out a bottle or two of gently sweet, caramelly Irish red ale, especially if served alongside a roast leg of lamb. A hearty Irish stew would benefit from the popular half-and-half mixture of ale and stout known as Black & Tan. When it comes to dessert, don't forget that sweeter stouts will beautifully complement chocolate cakes (such as Chocolate Stout Cake) or Chocolate Mousse.

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