Local craft beer companies set to brew up a storm

A NUMBER of local craft beer companies will be brewing up a storm at Ireland’s largest craft brews and food festival at the Convention Centre Dublin later this month.

The Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair is now in its fifth year, and of the 55 exhibitors three are from South Dublin County.

Rascals Brewing Company in Rathcoole, which is owned by Emma Devlin and Cathal O’Donoghue, produce four beers all year round, but are currently piloting milkshake beers after they recently brewed Mint Chocolate Beer.

The ambitious couple are looking to the future, saying: “Competition from the big players is always the biggest challenge as they can buy you out of taps if they want.

“Craft breweries need to strive to compete with them in terms of more interesting and flavoursome beers and that’s fully what Rascals intend on doing in 2017.”

Four Provinces Brewing Company was founded in Kimmage by Feargal Chambers, a science teacher and a former inter-county Dublin hurler, and Andrew Murphy, a pharmacy graduate who has also studied at the International School of Brewing and Distillation in Scotland.

Mr Murphy told The Echo: “We’re looking forward to the festival, it’s our first one”, and when asked about how craft brewing compared to working in pharmaceuticals Mr Murphy said that with craft brewing, “there’s a lot more freedom and a lot more room to experiment.”

The Tallaght-based Jack Smyth Stouts & Ales company was founded by Pádraic Óg Gallagher, a chef and founder of the Boxty House in Temple Bar, last year.

The brewing company was originally set up to supply the Boxty House, and there are now plans to officially launch the company this April.

The Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair will take place from Thursday 23rd until Saturday 25th February at Convention Centre Dublin.