#murphysirishstout

Today we’re going to talk about beer!!!

In Ireland, I’ve had the good fortune of trying the three most common types of stout available (seen below). All of these would pretty much be considered ‘domestics’, mass-produced, widely available, and owned by an international beer company.

Guinness (Diageo)

Here’s the Irish stout that everyone thinks of. It’s drank heavily in Dublin and surrounding areas and tends to be the ‘go-to’ beer here. Also obviously available internationally. If you have no idea what to order, the pub will always have Guinness, guaranteed. 

The flavor of Guinness really depends on the pub and who is pouring the pint. If you get a good pint of Guinness it will be creamy, milky, and go down very easy without much of a bitter or watery taste. There should be some head (but not a lot), the pourer should fill the glass about 2/3′s of the way full and then let it rest for about a minute or two. Oh also it is utter sacrilege to spill one drop. If you every see someone pouring a pint and they fill the glass to where a little bit spills over the side, leave immediately. They are a bad pub and should feel bad. As for the can, just don’t get Guinness in a can. It tastes bad, even with the little widget thingy.

Classic. Notice no side-spillage.

Murphy’s (Heineken)

This beer is originally from Cork and was the Catholic beer of choice. It seems to be available on a limited basis within Europe but doesn’t really extend to the States. It has a far more complex flavor than Guinness. If you normally like microbrewed stouts, you’ll really like this one. It has a deep chocolaty and slightly bitter taste with some really nice coffee notes. Again, if you normally like dark beers, this is a good one. Waaaay better than Guinness, in my estimation. Also actually tastes pretty ok from the can.

So good.

Beamish (Heineken)

And here we finally have my absolute favorite. Beamish is the original Protestant Cork beer and is much different from Murphy’s.  Where Murphy’s has an intense flavor, Beamish is smooth. The head on this one is usually way creamier than either Guinness or Murphy’s. Where Guinness gives you a really delicious creamy flavor only under the right circumstances (proper local, good pour, etc.), I’ve gotten this taste out of a Beamish can before! This one isn’t available outside of Ireland, so tough luck and drink it while you’re here!

My favorite....

Well hopefully these pictures and descriptions have made you want to go out and get a pint of your own today. Go for it!