On the twelfth day of St. Patrick, my true love gave to me 12 pints of Smithwicks, 11 Murphy's Stouts, 10 creamy Baileys, 9 Black & Tans, 8 Beamish stouts, 7 Jamesons, 6 Honeyed Meads, 5 Guinness pints, 4 Harp lagers, 3 Magners Ciders, 2 shots of Paddy, and a pint of Kilkenny...
Our journey on the road of great Irish beverages took a detour yesterday when we failed to post an 11th day (something came up). Nonetheless, the last two great Irish tipples that we are going to celebrate will be showcased together in this short post on the great holiday of St. Paddy’s day: Murphy’s Irish Stout and Smithwick’s Irish Ale
Ireland is obviously famous for its creamy ebony stouts with Guinness being the leader in the category. We have already applauded the great tastes of both Guinness and Beamish and there remains one incredible stout to cherish – Murphy’s. Murphy’s is an excellent stout for many reasons. To begin with, in most U.S. markets, you can buy a creamy four pack (in the can with the nitrogen widgets) for less than equivalent volumes of Guinness or Beamish. On top of that, Murphy’s tastes delicious. Although there are a million ways to describe how the three stouts differ in flavor, I generally like to think of Murphy’s as the least bitter and thus most approachable of the three for novice stout drinkers. Murphy’s is also distributed in many places as a result of it being owned by Heineken, so it is an easy stout to find and cherish. Personally, I highly recommend buying a pack of both Murphy’s and Guinness (and Beamish if possible) and judging for yourself – or even better – doing it in a pub where the beverages will be presented the way they were meant to be enjoyed!
Smithwick’s is undoubtedly on my list of top 10 beers of all time. This smooth red ale defines the style of Irish ale and has more tradition than even Guinness (Smithwick’s was first brewed in 1710 - a full 49 years before Arthur Guinness even began brewing). This is the classic case for why draught ale at the pub is superior than bottled renditions as a freshly poured pint of this Irish red beauty is one of the most sublime experiences that any beer lover can ever partake of. The bottled versions are great, but lose some of the charm that makes the pub pour so special. I know many young people who have been won over by this beer as it is not as blatant as Guinness and is much less contrived than Harps – it plays the middle flawlessly. If you only have one pint of beer this St. Paddy’s day you should do your best to make it a Guinness – If you go for two (and you should – it’s St. Paddy’s day) – this should definitely make the list.
Before signing off on the 12 days of St. Paddy’s day, I want to make a special call out to Bushmill’s Irish whiskey. It was planned to be in the 12 days of St. Paddy’s day and somehow got lost (I think when I added Black & Tan). It is a very smooth and delicious whiskey and should be enjoyed with your favorite pint. Along with the other two whiskeys that were showcased, this one really deserves to be in your collection.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day and Slainte!
