Home and Away

After stepping off the plane following a relatively painless trip through Dublin airport. The Fourcorners staff made a beeline to drop our bags at the hotel and make our way to Warpigs. The excitement was palpable as each of us had insisted on a visit before even getting through security.

A little bit of a Mecca for craft beer in our heads, Warpigs didn't disappoint in the slightest. A hand-drawn beer list ran the gambit from Pale Ales to Barley-Wines to Rauchbiers and everything in-between. We ordered a mixed platter of food and sat back to see what the atmosphere was in this stripped down former meat factory. It felt to me quite similar to a craft beer pub in Ireland taken to the max, groups of people with beers of every colour in front of them. 

After digesting the vibe of Warpigs (And a huge platter of barbecued meats) and drinking as many new brews as we could. We jumped into a taxi and travelled across to Brus To Øl's answer to Warpig. 
I was struck by the atmosphere in Brus. Open, bright and relaxed. We had arrived on a Danish Bank holiday of sorts so the place was still very lively. People would walk past and drop in to try a new beer or just rest with an old favourite. It felt almost like a coffee shop with people dropping in and people sitting at tables settled in for a long chat. 

It struck me because we're at the start of this in Ireland I feel, we are seeing an alternative offered to the traditional pub with curtained windows. Not that there's anything wrong with the traditional style pub, I can wax lyrical about how much I love them and have done so while having a pint in them. 

I just wanted to express a bit of excitement about the industry at home, we're seeing an uptake in craft lines, an uptake in people drinking craft beers in bars new pubs opening up, offering many different ways to enjoy your favourite beer. Ireland does so many things right in craft beer and I think we're starting to see the results now.