Six Great Irish Beers That Aren't Guinness

Image: PHOTO: Try a couple of these the next time you’re in Ireland. (photo via Flickr/Irish Jaunt)

by Kristina Rundquist
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Wed May 31, 2017

Name an Irish beer.

Think fast.

Chances are you just thought of Guinness, right?

And why not? Its smooth taste and creamy finish have made it one of Ireland's most popular exports for years. Add to that a series of catchy advertising slogans, and you have a veritable tour de force in the beer world.

But beer connoisseurs know there's more to Ireland's beer culture than Guinness. When you're on a tour of Ireland with the unquestioned leader of Irish tours - CIE Tours International - expand your horizons.

Here are six worthy of a try.

Smithwick's Red Ale. This rich red ale combines sweet malt with the bitterness of hops for an award-winning balanced brew. With 3.8-percent ABV, this dry, crisp beer pairs well with traditional Irish food.

Porterhouse's Oyster Stout. In the taverns and public houses throughout the 1700s, it was common to pair a stout with oysters. That tradition failed as oyster beds began to decline and pale ales became more popular. That said, today the Porterhouse Brewing Co. is reviving a bit of that old tradition by shucking oysters into the brewing tanks, adding a special je ne sais quoi to the beer that mixes nicely with the flavors of roasted coffee, dark chocolate and the slightest hint of tobacco.

Galway Bay "Of Foam and Fury." A Beoir Beer of the Year 2014 winner, this double IPA shows why you either go big or go home. With a hazy orange color and fizzy white head, it offers up a tantalizing blend of such tropical fruits as mango, citrus (grapefruit and blood orange, anyone?) and hops. While you might be tempted to think of it as light summery drink, with 8.5 percent ABV, you won't be thinking that for long.

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Murphy's Irish Stout. It's been Ireland's second largest brewery since 1906, and with beers like the Irish Stout it's no wonder. Offering up a rich blend of toffee and espresso, it's classified as an Irish Dry Stout. Of all of the Irish Stouts, it is the least bitter, and if you're not careful you might think of it as more dessert than adult beverage. But it's the rare dessert indeed that has 4-percent ABV.

Murphy's Irish Red. A rich vibrant bronze is the hallmark of this smooth beer that offers up hints of caramel and malt that serve to even out the bitterness of the hops. An effervescent beer with 5-percent ABV, the Irish Red was once called "Lady's Well Ale" after the holy well that sat across the street from the brewery's location in Cork.

O'Hara's Irish Stout. The Carlow Brewery is doing it old-school, reviving the ancient and revered tradition of Celtic brewing. Their award-winning Irish Stout (4.3 percent ABV) has earned the Bronze Medal at the Dublin Craft Beer Cup and twice earned the Bronze at the Stockholm Beer Festival, as well as silver medals at the Beer International Recognition and BTI World Beer Championships.

That's just for starters. What's all the fuss about? A full-bodied feel with complex coffee aromas, hints of licorice and a dry espresso-like finish. This beer is often paired with seafood (especially smoked salmon), as well as strong cheeses and dry cured meats.

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