The Irish Craft Beer Festival

 

The Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival Gets Ready to Explode in the Capital, this weekend. It is bigger. It is better. It is back. For the fourth year running, the Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival returns to the RDS in Dublin from the 4th – 7th September, tickets will  be on sale at the door (€10 Thursday, Friday & Sunday, €15 on Saturday which includes 2 free half pints). The craft beer and cider industry in Ireland has witnessed explosive growth over the past 12 months – reflecting this aptly, this festival has witnessed 300% growth in both brewers and attendees since its conception in 2011.

This year’s line-up consists of over 40 breweries and cider makers – totalling an astounding number of over 200 Irish produced beverages on offer to attendees. In comparison to last year’s 25 producers, this year has seen an increase of over 60% in the number of breweries attending, a reflection of the massive growth of this local Irish market sector.

Seamus O’Hara, Co-Founder of the Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival and owner of the Carlow Brewing Company, comments, “Having been through previous ‘renaissances’ of Irish Craft Beer, this feels different. This is market segment establishment. Working within the sector of Irish craft brewing is exciting. We are working in tandem with so many local organic markets, from the entrepreneurs and small businesses of the country, to collaborating with vintners, independent off-licences, retail outlets and some of the most creative marketing and distribution agencies in the around –  every day is different in brewing in Ireland at the moment.”

This year the team also welcomes back two Irish distillers, Porterhouse and Teelings. Both distillers are at the cusp of what is now predicted to be the next huge development in the Irish drinks sector – spirit distilling and the opening of Irish distilleries.

This year’s festival promises to bring visitors an experience that is unrivalled throughout the country. It is the pinnacle of the year within the Irish craft beer and cider industries. For four days, each supplier sets up its own space within the venue and chats with consumers, enjoying discussions about the intricacies of each unique combination of flavours making every individual product stand out from the next.

Surrounding the festival, Ireland will once again celebrate Irish Craft Beer Week. This year, as well as promotions throughout local pubs and off licences, the team are also launching the first Fan Favourite – Irish Craft Beer Awards (launching on the 22nd August, 2014).

Breweries and cider makers participating include: 5 Lamps, Armagh Cider, Black’s, Black Donkey, Blackstairs, Barrelhead, Bo Bristle, BRU, Costello, Dingle, Dj’s Juice and Ciders, Eight Degrees, Founders, Franciscan Well, Galway Bay, Galway Hooker, Hilden, Independent, Jack Doyle’s, Kinnegar, Mac Ivors, McGargles, Metalman, Mountainman, N17, Nine White Deer, O’Hara’s, Rascals, Scott’s Irish Cider,  Stonewell Cider, Stone Barrel, The White Hag, Toby’s Cider, Trouble, White Gypsy, White Water and West Kerry. Distilleries include:Teeling Whiskey Co. and  Porter House & Dingle Spirits. With guest breweries confirmed as Alltech, Brasserie Castelain, Founders and Lefevre Cidre.

The festival also offers an array of local Irish artisan food and local musical talent as well as playing host to the launch of Ireland’s newest guide to Irish craft beer and food. This book is written by Kristen Jensen and Caroline Hennessey (@bibliocook), Founders o of the Irish Food Bloggers Association. Some of the city’s favourite food producers will be cooking up a storm including Jane Russell Sausages, Cillian the Pie Man, Dave’s Wood Fired Pizza and Oisin’s Crepes in the City.