A Carlow microbrewery is celebrating a major international success less than two years after it was established. O'Hara's stout, one of three beers produced by the Carlow Brewing Company, took a gold medal in this month's Brewing Industry International Awards, announced at the Guildhall in London. The stout came out on top in the "international dark milds, stouts and porters, abv (alcohol by volume) range 4.2 to 6.9" category.
O'Hara's was one of 60 stouts, ales, lagers and speciality beers chosen by the judging panel from an original entry of 732 beers from 42 countries. The panel comprised 33 international brewers.
Winning the award gives the Carlow company an ideal platform to market the stout, the only Irish beer to take a gold medal, at home and abroad. "Their brief in judging the different beers was twofold: firstly to consider the sensory appeal and secondly to accredit the commercial worth of the beer," the company's managing director, Mr Seamus O'Hara, says.
The company's three products - O'Hara's, Curim gold wheat beer and Molings red ale - are available on draught in six pubs in Carlow and Kilkenny and in bottles in off-licences throughout Leinster. The brewery has recently begun exporting to Britain and Sweden and is currently exhibiting its products at an international food and drink fair in Singapore.
Other Irish brews to pick up awards at the Guildhall included Beamish Black (bronze - international dark milds, stouts and porters, abv 2.4 to 4.1); Murphy's Red (silver - international keg ales); Dwans Ruby Red (bronze - international keg ales); and D'Arcy's stout (bronze - international dark milds, stouts and porters, abv 4.2 to 6.9).