Sure, the Irish stout gets all the attention on St. Patrick’s Day. But this year, don’t be afraid to do something different and celebrate with an Irish red ale, a unique beer style that’s great with food and is a real crowd pleaser.
The Irish red ale we know today is a somewhat modern invention, but other red ales were brewed around Ireland for centuries. Smithwick’s (now owned by Guinness and its parent company Diageo) has been brewed since the 18th century in the town of Kilkenny, a hotbed for Irish red ale production.
Modern red ales are essentially adaptations of bitters from England, with fewer hops and more robust malt presence. Beer lore is rife with opinions, hearsay and oral history, so some believe the style goes back further, while some see it as an evolution of popular modern beers.
Whatever your opinion, Irish red ales will usually have flavors and aromas of toast, caramel and toffee with perhaps some low fruity, earthy and/or floral notes as well. It’s a broad style; some can be sweeter or drier depending on ingredients used. They are usually lower ABV (under 5.5%), which is perfect if you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day all day long.
Irish reds aren’t brewed a lot anymore, but some are easier to find than others. I suggest going to your local brewery: One of my locals made an Irish red specifically for St. Patrick’s Day, as they wouldn’t normally make one. It’s always worth checking your brewery’s website or social media pages for this information. A chance to have an Irish red on St. Patrick’s Day is always a joy.
Here are some easier-to-find suggestions for Irish red ales.
Irish Red Suggestion: Smithwick’s
Diageo owned Smithwick’s (pronounced “Smid-icks”) is the easiest to find of the Irish reds and is a smooth, tasty Irish treat that will work with all manner of Irish fare. Brewed by the Smithwick family from 1710 to 1965 in Kilkenny, Ireland, Smithwick’s for the U.S. market is 4.5% ABV and has subtle notes of toast and lightly roasted coffee.
Irish Red Suggestion: Great Lakes Brewing Conways
in Cleveland, Ohio makes some excellent classic beer styles from one of the best porters to a lovely Dortmunder export, so it would make sense that it would brew a great Irish red for the St. Patrick’s season. Conway’s is named after the owner of Great Lakes Brewing’s grandfather, who was a traffic cop. This ale is slightly higher alcohol than other Irish red ales at 6.3% ABV.
Irish Red Suggestion: Killian’s Irish Red
Killian’s is one of the reasons that Irish red ales are so popular in America, despite the fact that it’s a now a 5.4% ABV amber lager. This beer is allegedly based on an Irish recipe by Lett’s Brewery in Enniscorthy, Ireland and is licensed to Coors (now ) through Heineken France, who owned the naming rights. Killian’s was very popular in its heyday of the 1990s and is still available today (although ironically not sold in Ireland). Usually easy to find, should you struggle to find any local Irish red ale options, this should do the trick.
Cheers to you and your this St. Patrick’s Day and remember to share a pint with good people and friends who you truly care about.