Usually in our blogs we cover seasonal food, food suppliers, recipes and mostly food based articles. This week however, seeing as the weather has already driven most of us to the drink already we would like to tell you a little bit about one of the smashing beers we stock in the restaurant.
Aside from our extensive wine selection we have a number of beers and ciders for the non-wine drinkers, or those that fancy something different with their meal.
Galway Hooker is one beer that we are proud to stock, not just because of its local heritage, but because it stands on its own as a premium microbrewery beer that is consistently great, and is a great pairing for many of our dishes.
In its 6 years of production Galway Hooker has racked up some great awards including a "Best in Ireland" from the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide, winner of the Irish Craft Brewers Award for Best Beer, and winner of the Irish Craft Brewers Award for Beer of the Year.
Cheating a little bit and affiliating itself to the great city of Galway(sure why not!), the Hooker Brewery is located on the site of the now-defunct Emerald Brewery just outside Roscommon town.
The microbrewery was created by two cousins, Aidan Murphy and Ronan Brennan. The lads are incredibly passionate about what they do, and we love to see coming in our door.
Galway Hooker Ale is made similar to traditional Pale Ales, but has an added taste of caramel, similar to an Irish red beer. It is made from mainly pearl and crystal malt, Saaz, and cascade hops. The science for all you beer geeks, according to the boys at Hooker is that it has a bitterness of 35 IBUs and is 4.4% alcohol by volume.
Described eloquently in the Bridgestone Guide, Galway Hooker is “is a masterpiece of brewing, a pale ale that is quiet the most moreish drink we have encountered in years. Everything about Galway Hooker is the antithesis of mass-produced beers: it is subtle, graceful, has superb texture and mouth-feel, the fruit and hop notes are poised and tantalizing, it is refreshing rather than gaseous, and it is fresh rather than flat and dull. An amazing feat of brewing”.
Galway Hooker is widely available on draught in pubs around the city, or in bottles from most off-licences to take home. For more information visit the Hooker's space-age website at www.galwayhooker.ie
