It’s no secret that the last number of years has brought a marked shift in our country’s long and storied relationship with alcohol. You’d be hard pressed to come up with any product that has experienced such a momentous leap in popularity from being purely the concern of bearded “real ale enthusiasts” to an accepted omnipresence in the cultural landscape as we now understand it. Almost everyone now boasting a pint preference outside of big-name Diageo offerings.
Needless to say, when anything grasps the public consciousness with such speed and force there is a degree of cynical bandwagoneering to be expected as, over the last number of years, those with little passion for the culture have transparently strove to cut themselves a slice of the action. Thankfully, from the moment we arrived at the most recent, St. Patrick’s edition of the All Ireland Beer and Whiskey Festival and were furnished with our wristbands courtesy of a friendly doorman (sipping on low-key hot whiskey) it was immediately apparent that we were very much in the hands of the good guys.
For this iteration, the festival set up shop in the Main Hall of the RDS with 18 brewers and five different whiskey distillers all manning their own stands, nearly all of whom were plying the full range of their wares, many even bolstering their selections with festival-exclusive concoctions. In terms of practicalities, the organisers have seriously upped their game. A considerable increase in seating and the introduction of garlands of fairy lights have done no small amount of good in terms of creating a more inviting and laid back atmosphere, whereas at previous outings, the glaring house lights could give off the impression of being a guest at particularly bleary eyed, foggy headed trade expo.
As the evening wore on my compatriots and I did our best to sample as wide a selection of the exotics on offer, with all half pints retailing at a very reasonable €2.50 regardless of their potency, including some reaching double digit ABV percentages. Essentially every stall boasted something on offer worthy of praise but special plaudits have to go the Yeats’ country representatives, White Hag, who across their 15 taps showcased some real stunners, from citrus-rich sours to a velvety nitro stout and a peat-noted Irish Bog Ale.
With each edition everyone involved in these events from the festival organisers to the brewers themselves seem to be growing in confidence. They have an ability to run these get-togethers smoothly but have proved that the general population’s new relationship with “craft” might be more than a passing fad. This assuredness permeates the experience, bringing with it an air of joviality and a palpable pride in how far things have come in such a short time. We might have finally landed on a Paddy’s Day tradition none of us need be ashamed of. Well, except for maybe the lad who was stumbling around in a full rabbit-cum-leprechaun costume by 6pm. But the less said about that the better.
The Irish Craft Beer and Whiskey Festival hosts two main events in the RDS each year. The next event will take place on Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September. For more see www.irishcraftbeerfestival.ie
Words: Danny Wilson
Photos: Killian Broderick
