The Irish Pub Guide

When travelling to Ireland you’ll constantly be told that you need to try Guinness and will likely hear little else in terms of drinks worth tasting.

And while this is very solid advice, Guinness is the country’s favourite and most successful pint and is a must-try, but the brewers of Ireland have much more to offer, and depending where you are in the country, you should give the local signature drinks a try.

Not all counties are known for particular beers or stouts, but we’ve included the areas where they are hugely proud of their local drink.

Dublin – Guinness

Starting with the most obvious, Guinness is brewed in Dublin and famously you’ll get the best pints of stout in the city as the theory is that the drink doesn’t quite travel as well.

Each and every pub you head into in the capital will have Guinness on tap you can be sure, with some of the pubs best-known for their pints being Keoghs, Walsh’s and The Gravediggers – we’ve a list of some of the best pints here.

So Guinness is the clear winner in Dublin and likely in a few surrounding counties, but there are also some locally brewed lagers and stouts found around the city that are always worth trying.

Cork – Beamish or Murphy’s

Down in the ‘real capital’, Leesiders have their own answer to Guinness with both Beamish and Murphy’s their hugely popular stouts, both of which are quite different and offer something for everyone.

Beamish veers towards the more coffee taste while Murphy’s is that small bit sweeter, if you were comparing all three and putting Guinness in the middle.

When in Cork, you’ll be instantly loved for choosing one of these options over the Dublin-brewed Guinness, and it’s likely that nearly all pubs will have these on tap, or at least one of them.

But don’t worry if you’re in Cork, looking for something more like a lager and also in the mood to try something new, the city and county are full of independent breweries.

Two which are much-loved here at The Irish Pub Guide are The Rising Sons Brewery, with a wide range of drinks, pizza and the chance to drink right amongst the brewing. And the Franciscan Well brewery which is home to IPAs, lagers and more, including the very tasty Rebel Red.

Kilkenny – Smithwicks

If you’re heading to the historic city of Kilkenny, either as a sightseeing expedition or straight on a night-out, Smithwicks is the drink to choose to feel like a local.

Ireland’s most popular ale, and red in appearance, Smithwicks has a reputation worldwide, having begun as a locally produced drink in Kilkenny back in the 1700s.

It’s extremely popular with the people of Kilkenny and many around Ireland, and you can even take a tour of the Smithwicks centre in the city to learn about its history and see how it’s made.

Louth and surrounds – Harp

Another beer brewed by Guinness, originally in its Dundalk location, but back in Dublin since 2013, and a drink that is now growing in popularity once again.

While it can be found in many pubs around Ireland, increasingly more so in the last five years, in parts of Louth, Meath and a few other spots in the north-east, this is the lager of choice.

Taste wise, this is quite a light beer and has little in the way of bitterness if you’re just looking for a crisp, refreshing lager when in the pub.

Tipperary – Bulmers cider

Brewed in Clonmel, Bulmers is Ireland’s cider of choice and stocked in pretty much every pub in the entire country.

If you’re from outside Ireland, you may have seen or even tasted it before as it goes by Magners outside of The Republic of Ireland.

This refreshing drink is best enjoyed on a sunny day and the best way to order it is a large bottle and a glass with ice, you can get it on draught in some pubs, but a large bottle is the preferred choice for most.

Galway – you have a choice

There are a number of local brewers in Galway doing very well, and both Galway Hooker and the Galway Bay Brewery are ones you’ll find stocked in a lot of the local pubs.

Galway Hooker has been going since 2006 and offers a huge range of beers, we’re talking pilsners, lagers, IPAs, pale ales and even honey beer. If in Galway and looking to support local, their drinks are well worth it.

Galway Bay Brewery is another very successful brewer out west, they produce everything from pale ales to crisp refreshing lagers, and are again worth trying when in Galway.