So I have been following the 'All Day vs Few Fog - you stole my branding' debacles this last week with a slight smirk at how all the marketing gurus positioned themselves on either side of the battle line and how the question of how good the beer was didn't come into the remit, so we all know that Aldi and Lidl like to promote local food and now craft beer being a new addition to the Lidl range... So my wife, DC to those who know, was doing a bit of shopping in Lidl and low and behold she came home with some actual Irish Craft beer from independent craft breweries.
Two breweries from Laois - Ballykilcavan and 12 Acres ----Have too say DC got me the entire range from both breweries ( yes she is a keeper) and so far so good , I had a Red Ale form Ballykilcavan and a Hazy IPA from 12 Acres.
The Brickyard Red Ale does exactly what it says on the tin ( ok Bottle), it is a 4.2% libation of malty goodness, doesn't feel overpowering in the ABV but you get the booze on the nose and that lovely pleasant aroma of a country kitchen with bread in the oven, and an earthen floor that is I suppose the essence of the fabric of a farm going for 381 years...Jeez they even grow the Hops and the Grain for this brew, you dont get more local than that. I have followed the development of the Ballykilcavan Brewery via Facebook following a tip from a bearded gentleman I met at a Beer Hut taproom ( You know who you are) .. it is amazing to see the development of a tourist attraction which just happens to be a brewery on a farm, the architecture of the buildings is amazing and I do hope to visit sometime in the future.. you should check it out on facebook...
Now on to the second brew from County Laois tonight a Hazy IPA from 12 Acre Brewing, this one called 'The Far Side'
It is a wee belter of a beer, at 5%ish it is a fragrant spicey brew and is well worth it for the lovely juicy tones of the Beer, again made in Laois and the malt comes from the brewery farm, totally authentic local craft beer and now distributed by Lidl. I don't know much about 12 acres suffice to say if they utilize 12 acres for the brewery and produce brews of this quality the future is bright for them, must say 12 Acres have really sorted out the head retention - would you like a flake with that Sir
Two cracking wee beers from County Laois...who knew...