Off-licences are stacking their shelves with ever-more exotic brews, some introduced to serve immigrant communities, others popular with natives. Joe Breen rejoices in choices
Have pity on beer. Thousands of years old, humble beer is treated with contempt when set alongside mighty vino. It is perceived as devoid of culture and class. Any attempt to ascribe skill to its brewers is mocked, and those who talk up the complex flavours of specialised or niche beers are condemned as pretentious. But beer and its formidable band of zealots are fighting back. The real ale and beer movement has gained ground in Europe and North America, holding back the tide of big-branded, thin-flavoured brews that threaten to take over the beer-drinking world, if not exactly driving them back into their monster breweries.
In Ireland, as elsewhere, discerning drinkers increasingly have found it easier to slake their thirst in a more cosmopolitan manner. As a country that reputedly trails only the Czech Republic for its number of beer drinkers per head of population, we clearly are well disposed to the stuff.
But more of us are looking for something more exotic. Gone are the days when an off-licence could get away with carrying only Guinness, Harp, Smithwick's, Budweiser and the other big brands.
Today, off-licences such as McHugh's, the leading north-Dublin independent, stock hundreds of beers in an attempt to offer choice and interest to an increasingly demanding and diffuse market. McHugh's, which has won the beer section of Checkout magazine's Off-Licence of the Year competition for three of the past five years, is a busy store, with shelves stocked high with interesting wines, premium spirits and beer. Although Budweiser and Miller cover the floor space, the shelves are full of colour and variety, including vibrant coloured Pilsners, stouts, lagers, Trappist beers and fruit beers in all manner of bottle shapes and sizes. They proclaim loudly their individuality. Even though some of them hail from substantial companies, their ruggedly independent tastes underline their refusal to bend to the Budweiseration of beer drinking - in other words, to the emasculation of local culture and tradition.
Writers such as the esteemed British critic Michael Jackson have carried the good fight for years, extolling the virtues of boutique brews and exposing the marketing blitz of the heavyweight brewers. Granted, some microbreweries concoct stories of pure bunkum, but it is heartening to see a passion for excellence and innovation spreading to pubs such as the Porterhouse, in Dublin, to off-licences such as Redmonds of Ranelagh and to websites such as www.realbeers.ie, which offer a wide choice and reliable information.
Cathal McHugh of McHugh's, which has been in business for 10 years, makes sure that his staff know about what they are selling, be it wine or beer. It's a tall order when you consider the number of beers involved, be they ales, lagers or stouts. "We used to stock every beer that was brought in, but it has come to the stage where so many are being imported that you have to make qualitative decisions."
This still leaves a mind-boggling array of bottles and styles to tempt his customers - and they are succumbing. "People are experimenting more. Guys will pick up a new beer or two each week with their six-pack, and it becomes a matter of pride to say how many different types they have tried."
But boutique Irish beers struggle in his shops. "They are not hugely successful for us. Stouts are not bad, but Guinness has such a stranglehold on the market. And the Guinness drinker is not really an experimental kind of guy. It is very hard to convince him that O'Hara's or D'Arcy's stout is as good as his pint of plain."
McHugh believes that the interest in niche imported beers is the result in part of greater foreign travel and greater immigration. "Certainly, the beer market benefits from that. For instance, Polish beers are being brought in now, and these are geared to the Polish community. I think there are more than 20,000 Poles in the State now. And it's the same with Russian beers. But you won't find eastern Europeans drinking Australian beers."
This is the culture factor. Beer is a national reference point. We should know. That is why one major drinks brand has people flocking to a jungle bar to drink pints and watch an international soccer match; it may be far-fetched, but we understand the semiotics.
And those jungle drinkers have obviously returned home, because, says McHugh in answer to whether beer-buying is seasonal: "In the summer, it is totally weather-dominated. Last Wednesday was great for us, but if the sun hadn't been shining . . ."
FIVE TO TRY
Cathal McHugh of McHugh's off-licence recommends five very different beers from his shelves.
Hofbrau Original (€2 for 500ml; Germany; 5.1 per cent alcohol by volume) This is a golden lager from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. It has more body than more commercial beers, with a mildly malty flavour and a dry finish.
Coopers Sparkling Ale (€2.65 for 375ml; Australia; 5.8 per cent abv) Although this is brewed as an ale, its flavour is closer to that of lager than to Smithwick's or Macardles. It is conditioned in the bottle, which creates sediment and cloudiness. It is quite fruity, with a touch of yeastiness and a dry, slightly bitter hoppy finish.
Hoegaarden (€1.99-€2.50 for 330ml; Belgium; 5 per cent abv) This is a white wheat beer flavoured with coriander and curaçao. Cloudy and pale in the glass, it has a strong spicy, floral character. Well worth trying.
Bishops Finger (€2.99 for 500ml; England; 5.4 per cent abv) This red-brown ale smells of caramel and coffee and tastes of raisins and currants, with a bone-dry hoppy finish. English ales in general, and this one in particular - from Kent - are packed with complex flavours.
Erdinger Hefe-Weissbier (€2.59 for 500ml; Germany; 5.3 per cent abv) German wheat beers have become hugely popular in Ireland, with this one leading the pack. This may be because it is milder in flavour and less zesty than others, making it an easier transition from lager. Cloudy and golden in colour, it is quite fruity, with aromas and flavours of ripe banana. It has a dry, crisp, toasty finish.
BEER ON THE WEB
[ www.realbeers.ieOpens in new window ]
A huge array of beers for delivery to your doorstep. Plenty of detail, good background knowledge and keen prices, including special offers make this Irish site well worth investigation.
[ www.beerhunter.comOpens in new window ]
This is the entertaining and informative website of the noted beer writer Michael Jackson. Contains a very useful archive of articles on the history and culture of beer around the world.
[ www.ratebeer.comOpens in new window ]
This US site's many charts include one on the most popular widely distributed beers. When I looked, Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock was in the top spot, with Guinness draught at 16 and bottled Harp at 24. The wonderfully named Arrogant Bastard Ale staggered in at number seven.
[ www.realbeer.comOpens in new window ]
Leading US site with lots of background detail, although you have to wade through a daunting landscape of laddish comments. Sample headline: "Suds suffer down under" over a piece about Australians deserting beer for wine.
[ www.whatalesyou.comOpens in new window ]
Another very detailed US site with pages of rich background information plus the opportunity to download beer-related wallpaper for your computer.
[ www.beveragefactory.comOpens in new window ]
Lots of accessories for the dedicated beer drinker, including the Kegerator - a hollowed-out fridge containing a beer keg. Yours for about $1,000 (€837).
[ www.homebars.ieOpens in new window ]
Fancy moving the pub into your home? Look no further. Complete units from €895.
[ www.beb.ieOpens in new window ]
The online home of the Biddy Early Brewery in Co Clare.
[ www.worldofbeer.comOpens in new window ]
Another knowledgeable site, fronted by Stephen Beaumont, a Canadian journalist who has written extensively on beer.
[ www.pilsner-urquell.comOpens in new window ]
In 1842 the world's first golden beer was created in Pilsen, in today's Czech Republic, hence the name Pilsner beer. As beer sites go, this is pretty cool.