My trip to Ireland: part 5

Did you really thought that this would be the end of my story about Ireland? Well, you were wrong, but this time I will tell you about something that to many people represent Ireland more than any other thing: Beer
There are other things of course that also spurs the Irish imagination, but to a girl from Bergen, who had only tasted Guinness and Kilkenny in the Irish beer-universe, the diversity she found on the Green Isle was amazing.
And this post will try to describe this flabbergasting experience.
Beer, ale, stout...what to call them? It was a whole new world that revealed itself in front of my very eyes, and maybe in a moment like that, technical words is the last thing one need. It was  bliss, beauty in its purest sense.
but maybe I was unaware of the magic in the experience, because beer isn't just beer; it is history, strong feelings and identity.
So let's start at the beginning: Back home in Norway I had heard a rumour, a rumour that told me that the best Guinness in the world would be found in Dublin. So off I went with this thought buzzing in my mind, but I got a chance to taste the provincial Guinness too; first in Donegal (it was way better than the one I could get back home in Bergen...no harsh feeling towards Finnegans anyway) and then in Belfast.
Another beer-related thought had also been nagging my mind for some time after an ex-friend gave me a tips about a stout darker and even more tasteful than Guinness. This had to be a mythical stout I told myself, nothing could be better than the elixir of life...

WARNING: if you dare read on you will probably want a beer yourself...

In Belfast

Guinness is indeed praised, but I guess many do so because they have not tasted anything so good that it could be worth comparing with the "black stuff" at all. Maybe I have been ignorant, but I will still enjoy the regular pint now and then without a sour face :)

But there lay an undiscovered ground in front of me, and what else could I do that find my way through it?

Brazen Head, Dublin

James Joyce once said that it would be impossible to walk through Dublin without running into some kind of pub. And this city is indeed packed with places, big and small, where you can get a refreshing pint. Some of them are old and steeped in history, while others are hip and cool. I'm a true fan of the first kind, but I was determined to not spend too much time in them this time, since I had to see the rest of Ireland too...

Plain Stout and Porterhouse Red Ale = HEAVEN

Well, back to mr Joyce's little bet. It is told that RTÉ-radio announced that the person that could find a pub-less route through Dublin would get a prize. It seemed the price would fall to no one, until a clever guy called and said that "you don't have to pass the pubs, you just go into them" ^^

So after a long day walking around in the city I love so well, it was so good to put my feet up, have something nice to drink and listen to some fabulous music. And all this was done in The Porterhouse in Temple Bar. Every little piece of this place was amazing; from the décor, to the staff and the BEER.

This is also a microbrewery, and they brew 9 (!) different types of beer; 3 stouts, 3 ales and 3 lager. They have also an amazing selection of beer from around the world, and Steven's face lit up when he discovered that they had a Belgian beer-festival at the moment of our arrival.

One happy fellow

So while I was trying out the different stouts, ales and lagers, Steven was trying out some of the fruitiest beers I've ever tasted. They didn't tasted beer AT ALL! And from this point on couldn't we stop smiling, for we both knew that we had found our beer-heaven. And since this lead to some sort of euphoric happiness, Steven's hiccup became much funnier than you would expect....

The beer I tried out this amazing evening was these:

*Wrasslers Stout - this was supposedly Michael Collins favourite stout, and you know me: a sucker for things connected to history ^^ (especially Irish history...) 
This was fairly dark, and even if it looked like a plain Guinness, it made my taste-buds go into a state of euphoria. This was a much richer stout and the after-taste was perfectly balanced.

*Porterhouse Red Ale - my absolute favourite and it beats every ale I've tasted before and after. It is rich, but not too heavy. It was fresh without being too bubbly. It was also smooth, and it sneaked its way into your memory in such a way that it will be impossible to forget.

*Porterhouse Plain Stout - well, what to say? Magic in a glass ^^ Perfect after work or a long walk. It is not so heavy as a Guinness or a Wrasslers, but still filling. Hail to the Porterhouse!

A new experience

*Temple Bräu - this was the first lager I've drunk in years, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered it. i had some bad experience with lager from back home in Norway, so I was a little nervous when I sent Steven upstairs (the pub/bar had 3 (!) floors) for this one. But all my fear were thrown out of the window the minute I tasted it. It didn't taste horseshit! It was fresh, but still had a flavour I could like. I will probably still be a stout-person, but if I would ever return to a lager, this would be it ^^

The coolest coasters in town

So my beer-adventure was a true success, and I know one thing for sure: I will return to Dublin (more about Dublin in the next chapter) and I will certainly return to the Porterhouse for more glorious moments.
Are you thirsty now? I know I am, so thank you for listening to my little tale, and I'm off for a pint....