“I know other people wince – or worse! – when his name’s mentioned but Brian Cowen is a bit of a hero to the Irish craft brewing industry!”

Cook, author, blogger and hophead Caroline Hennessy is reflecting on the fact that it was the ex-Taoiseach who in 2005 halved the excise paid by microbreweries, enabling them to retain more of their capital and re-invest in their business. An unlikely Patron Saint of Irish Craft Beer, but there you go!
“It was a total game-changer,” resumes Caroline who also happens to be married to Scott Baigent, co-founder of Eight Degrees Brewing in Mitchelstown who she met in 2004 whilst travelling round New Zealand. It wasn’t the only reason her trip to the southern hemisphere was memorable…
“In Ireland at the time, you were either a Guinness or a lager drinker whereas in New Zealand they had all these little microbreweries producing reds, ambers, pilsners, barley wines and a chocolate stout I remember with great affection. Most importantly for me, coming from that background, they were pairing them with foods. It wasn’t even considered at Ballymaloe where I studied because the options here were so limited.
“In New Zealand though, if you walked into any random supermarket in a small town, they had a big selection of beer that went way, way beyond the mainstream brands. I came back to Ireland thinking, ‘Oh dear, what am I going to drink?’”
It was Franciscan Well in Cork, the Porterhouse in Dublin and the Carlow Brewing Company who, like beery white knights on steeds, came to Hennessy’s rescue.
“The role they’ve played in the Irish craft beer revolution can never be over-estimated. They gave other would-be brewers something to aspire to and people like myself an education in what beer can taste like.
“It was all a bit nerdy and trainspotter-ish back then, which I have to say just added to the fun! It gave birth to a sense of community, which has grown and grown.”
Caroline is delighted by the fact that unlike the British real ale days of yore, craft beer here isn’t “just a load of boys sitting around rubbing their chins as they reverentially sip their pints.
“It’s very inclusive,” she expands, “and, of course, we have some great female brewers like Sarah Roarty at N17 in Galway and Gráinne Walsh at Metalman in Waterford who’s also one of the driving forces behind the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland.”
Talking to Hot Press as part of our last craft beer special, Walsh stressed the need for Irish micros to forge a collective identity that sets them apart from their big brand rivals.
“She’s absolutely right,” Caroline nods. “Irish people, who are incredibly supportive of their own, need to know that what they’re drinking is a quality craft beer brewed here at home rather than an import. Some sort of standardised ‘Brewed In Ireland’ stamp or logo would be a great help in that regard.”
As the Irish craft beer industry matures, it seems increasingly willing to experiment with big, bold flavours.
“When Irish craft breweries started out, they were essentially making replacements for the ‘yellow one’, ‘the red one’ and ‘the black one’ that publicans – and the public – were familiar with,” Caroline proffers. “You could amp up the flavours in the yellow one, add caramel to the red one or have something really, really dry in the black one, but they didn’t initially want to scare the horses too much. Now though you’ve a market that’s open to trying different beers – demands it in fact – and brewers having fun responding to that.
“If N17 and Rascals had come up with their respective Rye Ale and Ginger Porter – both of which are gorgeous – even a couple of years ago, people would have puckered their mouths and gone, ‘Awwww, that’s a bit much!’ Eight Degrees has been doing a series showcasing individual hops – the latest being the Nelson Sauvin from Scott’s New Zealand homeplace, which is coming out for the Irish Craft Beer & Cider Festival next month in the RDS. Actually, the Cider part of the name is worth emphasising because there are some fabulous craft ones here.”
5 Lamps, Armagh Cider, Black’s, Black Donkey, Blackstairs, Barrelhead, Bo Bristle, BRU, Costello, Cotton Ball, Dingle Brewing Company, DJ’s Juice & Ciders, Eight Degrees, Farmagedon, Founders, Franciscan Well, Galway Bay, Galway Hooker, Hilden, Independent, Jack Doyle’s, Kinnegar, Lefevre Cidre, MacIvors, Metalman, Mountain Man, N17, O’Hara’s, Rascal's, Rye River, Stonewell Cider, Stone Barrell, The White Hag, Toby’s Cider, Trouble, White Gypsy, White Water, West Kerry, Teeling Whiskey Company and Porter House & Dingle Spirits are among those already confirmed for the September 4-7 shindig with more to be added over the coming fortnight.
“You only have to look at that list to realise we’ve become a world class brewing nation,” Caroline concludes. “Irish craft beer isn’t a fad or a craze; it’s here to stay and getting better all the time.”

Sláinte: The Complete Guide To Irish Craft Beer and Cider by Caroline Hennessy and Kristin Jensen is published by New Island on September 4.