The craft beer revolution is in full swing in Dublin. Now, more than ever you have an amazing plethora of choice when it comes to the beers destined to make you better looking, better conversation, and invisible until around 3:30am Sunday morning.
The influx of craft beer options couldn’t have come soon enough. Diageo’s stranglehold on the local beer market is finally seeing an end to the ‘same – same – entirely the same – but slight the same’ beers typically offered in Dublin pubs. Here we put aside our long love affair with Heineken swill, and highlight the best craft beers, and the best craft pubs, just so you can look slightly more sophisticated and hipster-like. Follow us now as we say words like IPA loudly and proudly as if it’s actually not an entirely boring type of beer.
The Beer Market / The Brew Dock
The Beer Market – 13 High Street
The Brew Dock – 1 Amiens Street
Galway Bay Brewery has carved a nice wedge in the local Dublin beer offering. The Beer Market is located right next to Christchurch to the West, and the Brew Dock is possibly the best pub near Connolly DART station. Both offer a ridiculous number of beers on draught and in bottles. You’ll find no Guinness or Heineken here. Try the Dortmunder or Fischers from Germany, as both are typically on draught. Additionally the selection of Irish Red Ales, and Porters is hard to beat. Brace yourself for a mind bending hangover the next day that’ll make you go running straight back to Guinness.
Depending on your location, you can also try the Black Sheep or Against The Grain (both are also Galway Bay Brewery offerings) closer to the middle of town.
J.W Sweetman
1-2 Burgh Quay.
Although some what of a touristy pub, the building offers three (or is it four?) levels, and JW Sweetman’s own craft beer brand. Very much your traditional style pub. It’s worth a swift skulling before hitting Cassidy’s around the corner, and then come back when Cassidy’s closes.
Cassidy’s
27 Westmoreland Street.
Once the loneliest of smelly old man pubs, now reformed by new owners. Cassidy’s is a mecca of good vibes, not-so-shit clientele, great music, and fantastic beers. Ordering over patrons sitting at the bar; to staff who typically don’t care how long you’ve waited or how many times they’ve asked the wrong person who’s next, is painful at peak hour. Cassidy’s have some great Wheat Beers like Hoegarden, Bluemoon (for the girls) and Weihenstephaner (good luck pronouncing that, but you’ll love it!) as well as Sierra Nevada beers – all on draught. The bar offers more of a laid back lounging space than a traditional pub, and this typically attracts the right kind of laid back patron. Board games are seemingly everywhere, and just as seemingly not covered in vomit or urine (bonus!), A good calibre of hard rock typically blasts the airwaves ensuring you’re going to have a great night.
The Beer House
84.5 Capel Street.
Instead of just posting a million different esoteric beers on a black board and saying: “Go at it, son!” – the beer house has craft beer tasting offers so you can sample the many, choose a few, and drink a gallon. The odd Hunter S Thompson quote scrawled across the walls gives the Beer House a derelict, garage-like vibe about it. The beer house also puts on the odd special event such a brewer’s nights, and jam sessions for some fun live music. Not to be missed!
The Bull & Castle
5-7 Lord Edward St
Once a favourite, now the price for even the Heineken swill have gone up through the roof next to the FXB branding. The Bull and Castle used to offer a great german style beer hall upstairs, with fantastic beers on draught like Galway Hooker, Metal Man and the like. But these days you’ll be lucky if you can afford the fleecing. Avoid.
Where to buy craft beers?
For those occasions that you’re not making an obnoxious embarrassment of yourself in public, and you’re instead ruining someone’s house party, or you’re drinking alone because no one talks to you after ‘that night’ – then get yourself to two great locations where you can buy bottled craft beers.
Mitchell & Son in the CHQ Building near George’s Dock / The Docklands area
Offers a fantastic range of chilled craft beers both local and international. Don’t miss for fantastic value prices and offers. The wine selection is good to if you’re into that sort of thing.
SuperValu – Talbot Street
Buying booze and seeing the colourful knacker locals has never been so much fun, and so scary all at the same time. The vast majority of SuperValu and Tescos stores in Dublin have good selections of craft beers.
