The Dublin City Brewing Company has big ambitions. It intends to open a five million litre capacity brewery in the Parnell Centre on Parnell Street, with a taproom, visitor centre and guided tours. It just needs lockdown to end.
Master brewer Fergal Murray was also master brewer and global brand ambassador with Guinness for 33 years. “The equipment is in, high-end equipment, and now it just needs to be turned on. We are waiting for the final tests. It is rare in my world that you get an opportunity to be involved from start to finish and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.” In the meantime it has been contract brewing elsewhere, fine-tuning its recipes.
“We have two easy-to-drink session lagers, a pale ale and a red ale, all ready to rock. The Liberator is designed to satisfy the thirst and energise the tastebuds; lager is actually quite hard to make without challenging taints and aromas. The Pioneer pilsner is a little bit more premium, the reserva version; it has been tweaked with extra hops, and it gives a little more aroma and complexity, like higher end pilsners and Vienna lagers. One is easy going; the second more sophisticated.”
“We are trying to create lasting brands, sessionable beers that people will come back to, rather than once-off beers that make a lot of noise and then disappear. We will probably add an IPA.”
Given that he spent 33 years making the world’s most famous stout, he is taking great care with the Dublin City version. “The stout is trialling; it is still a work in progress. There are one or two technical changes I might make to make sure that everything will deliver.
“We are 20 minutes from every pub in Dublin, so they will never run out and can tell visitors it is made just down the road. It will give the bartender something to talk about and be proud of.”
