“Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and a easy one.
A pretty girl and a honest one.
A cold pint… and another one!”
~An Irish Toast
Irish Drink #1: Guinness Beer
Guinness, a popular dry stout, is the best selling alcoholic beverage in Ireland. The famous burnt flavor and thick creamy head has been a favorite drink of many for years.
What sets Guinness apart from lighter beers?
-Stouts are made from water, yeast, roasted malt or barley, and hops. Guinness is made from water, yeast, barley, hops, and isinglass finings (from fish bladders).
-Some of the barley in Guinness is roasted. This gives the beer a darker color and stronger taste.
-Guinness contains a lower alcohol content than most beers.
-Guinness is the original widget-containing beer.
-Contains fewer calories than most non-light beers.
-Guinness houses the famous creamy head.
Irish Drink #2: Jameson Irish Whiskey
Whiskey is a grain-fermented spirit that is aged in wood. Other spirits include brandy, gin, vodka, and rum. Jameson Irish Whiskey remains the highest selling Irish Whiskey.
What sets Jameson Irish Whiskey apart from the non-Irish whiskey?
-Unlike Scotch, almost all Irish whiskey leaves out the use of peat.
-Jameson Irish Whiskey is distilled three times, instead of two times like non-Irish whiskeys.
-Scotch uses all malted barley, whereas Jameson Irish Whiskey combines raw and malted barley.
-Irish whiskey is distilled in large pot stills (larger pot stills than other whiskey).
-Irish whiskey does not contain the high corn mash content like American whiskey or the rye content like Canadian whiskey.
Irish Drink #3: Smithwick’s Ale
This Irish red ale that began being produced in the 1700s is now owned by Guinness. It is actually pronounced “smittick’s”. Ireland’s McHale Beer Rating club has listed Smithwick’s in the top 5 best tasting beers. Even though Smithwick’s has a lesser fame than Guinness, it is definitely a local favorite in Irish pubs.
What sets Smithwick’s Ale apart from other ales?
-Smithwick’s uses the finest hops and barley.
-Compared to the Guinness head, Smithwick’s is quite thin.
-Unlike other ales, Smithwick’s uses some roasted barley.
Irish Drink #4: Bulmers Cider
Bulmers Cider is a cider produced in Ireland. A cider is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. There are also pear versions of cider that are becoming more popular. These ciders are often called “perry” ciders. You can find the Bulmers outside of Ireland, but under a different name – Magners. The two are exactly the same, just marketed in different areas.
What sets Bulmers Cider apart from other ciders?
-Original oak vats and presses are used to make Bulmers.
-Bulmers Cider is filtered instead of pasteurized like other ciders.
-Bulmers Cider is fermented at a slightly warmer temperature than most ciders.
Irish Drink #5: Baileys Irish Cream
An alcoholic beverage made from Irish whiskey and cream, Bailey’s Irish Cream has a high alcohol content of 17%. Stemmed from the popularity of this drink, both Haagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry’s have created Bailey’s Irish Cream ice cream flavors.
What sets Bailey’s Irish Cream apart from other cream-based alcoholic beverages?
-Most cream-based alcoholic beverages lack the Irish authenticity that Bailey’s has to offer.
-It is by far the best selling cream liqueur.
Irish Drink #6: Bunratty Mead
Mead is a honey wine. It used to be a custom for a new bride and groom to drink mead every night after their wedding for an entire full moon. This is how the term “honeymoon” came to be.
What sets Bunratty Mead apart from wine?
-Instead of being fermented with fruit juices the way wine is, mead is fermented in a solution of water and honey or sometimes water, honey, and grain mash.
-Mead is one of the oldest styles of alcoholic beverages.
-Bunratty Mead has a higher alcohol content than over half of the wine varieties.
Bulmers Irish Cider;wikipedia.org
