Today, Pub Talk beings the countdown to our favorite holiday on the calendar, Saint Patrick’s Day. To get our readers ready for this fantastic day, we here at Pub Talk and the American Public House Review will present you will some suggestion on what to drink and where to drink it. (Safely and responsibly, of course.) And a few photos from the Emerald Isle.
Let us begin with a beer that may prove difficult to find in some parts of the United States, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale. It seems to be in very limited release in the New World, but if you happen to come across this little liquid gem in your local Irish pub consider yourself lucky.
Kilkenny Ale is brewed in what is claimed to be the oldest operating brewery in Ireland, the Smithwick’s brewery in Kilkenny which has a brewing tradition that dates back to the 13th century. It is a “cream” ale and it pours in much the same way Boddington’s does, but it is has a color and taste along the lines of an amber ale like Smithwick’s. This combination creates a truly delicious brew.
Kilkenny is a staple on the Emerald Isle, as well as in Irish pubs in Canada and the United Kingdom. For years it was unavailable to thirsty Irish pub patrons in the USA. However, in 2009 it finally made it’s debut in the colonies at The Dubliner, Washington, D.C.’s most famous drinking hole. (And while we are at it let us add The Dubliner to our Pub Talk guide to St. Patty’s Day. It is a truly great Irish pub!)
For me, Kilkenny defined my drinking experience during my trip to Ireland. While it is certainly true Ireland’s pub’s are filled with great libations, including the best pint of Guinness you will ever find, whenever the bartender would ask for my order I seemed to always drift toward Kilkenny. Perhaps it was the novelty of having something I could not find back home, but I think it was more the flavor that was the attraction. It’s time to end the tragically limited release of this wonderful brew and bring it to the masses
by Dave McBride
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