At a Glance:
Date: 22/08/2020 (Yes it was five months ago. Moving house, moving job and finishing a masters is thirsty work)
Breweries in Focus: McGrath’s, McCracken’s, Foxes Rock
Guest Judge: Jack Leeman- Smack Jack the Cracker Man
Guest Tune: How much a dollar cost- Kendrick Lamar. See Jack’s pick (and some of his own tunes) on the Brewed Awakening Spotify playlist.
BREWERIES IN FOCUS
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Ciderman
Before you ask, no. Armagh’s Brewed Awakening contains no mention of cider. We didn’t deliberately avoid apple stew it just sort of, happened. If I ever venture into the cider department on Brewed Awakening, expect The Orchard County to feature. In terms of priorities however, I’m knee-deep in the favourable dilemma of too many beers, too little time.
Shout out to Jack for his hosting (you may also recognise him as the lovely model for the Collabs & Creatives page circa the homepage). Our venue for the night was his shed; a blue lit garage with walls dedicated to beer and vodka from around the world collected over an undefined number of years. There’s a real “the more you stare, the more you see” feeling to the shed. It’s like rewatching a Christopher Nolan film in that every time you pay attention, you notice something new. Whether it’s the glassware collection, or the fact that the actual functioning urinal is made from a former keg. His shed has been converted into a museum of beer and assorted spirits, and a testament of self-control and restraint that it all remains unopened.
Ooh, Ah, Up McGrath
Founded by Mark Pearson, McGrath’s brewing takes it name from legendary greyhound- Master McGrath. Born in 1867, Master McGrath is the only greyhound ever to win the English Waterloo cup on three separate occasions. But the dog days are far from over as McGrath’s continue to produce cracking beer, emblazoned with their fitting slogan; made, not manufactured. McGrath’s focus on quality and longevity, producing only four beers as their core range that have been perfected over time.
That’s McCracken:
Sounding somewhat like Ronald McDonald produced a cracking beer, McCracken’s began in September 2018 and are experiencing a period of tremendous growth. With seven styles now on the market, their beer is small-batched and authentic.
Cunning like a fox:
Ok this was just stubbornness on my part. Foxes Rock is produced across two breweries; Pears Lyons in Dundalk and Station Works in Newry. Their IPL and stout, produced in the latter, have ‘Newry, Co Down’ on their label. But technically, as I grew up a stones throw from Station Works, it’s in Armagh. Highly debatable, but that’s why its here. Stupider like a FOX.
Noteworthy Omissions:
At the time of tasting, we couldn’t get our hands on McGrath’s legacy DIPA or stout. They have since made the jump to online sales and Amazon have even become their stockists, so I’ll be sure to revisit them in greater detail. (You can also buy direct from their store now if you fancy giving Bezos less pesos- let’s not get into that today).
Since the initial night’s craic, Armagh Brewing Co have burst on to the scene and are only available in Armagh city. I spoke briefly with Gareth- if his product is as pleasant as he is, there’s a lot to be excited about.
BOOZE REVIEWS
IPL- An India pale lager is an exciting concept that attracted me, but didn’t really deliver on what I had anticipated. Like when I was 10 years old and I once used club lemon instead of milk in my cheerios because I saw them do it on Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh. That’s a harsh comparison, but it just feels like the idea could be executed with a bit more finesse. In fairness to it, it’s got a fairly complex profile for a lager and it retains its head well. I’ll not be putting it in my Cheerios all the same.
McGrath’s 1– It’s all too easy to fall into the phase of ‘lager hate’. McGrath’s number 1 is an evident step up from your domestic macro-lagers, but perhaps not one I’d waste paper to write home about. If it’s your local, support it. If it’s front of you, drink it. But don’t expect anything remarkable all the same.
McCracken Gold- It doesn’t get much more local than the first try of a beer on the very roads it was made on. Portadown’s finest hit me with more malt than I initially anticipated. Floral notes and the smooth body you associate with a gold are definitely present, with the subtlest hint of sweetness at the end.
McGrath’s 2- This is a velvety boy. This coats the throat, like a boozy galaxy caramel.
Foxes Rock Stout- This is smoother than my da’s bald head. It’s less complex than some alternative stouts on the market, but the trade-off is that its very, very drinkable. Particularly amidst a combination of styles.
McGrath’s 4- This red ale is more carbonated than some counterparts on the market and to be honest, I like that. There’s more of a thirst quenching bite to this than some, which may divide opinion. In the opinion of my brother who was present at the time, “it’s like a curry paste that hasn’t fully mixed in”. Make of that what you will.
Portadown IPA- Citrusy and sharp, this is more than a solid IPA. The label is an Irish Pale Ale, not to be confused with the Indian variety, however this beer is quite evidently influenced from the west coast styles. It even picked up an accolade at the 2020 great taste awards. It’s a shame that it took me til 2021 to post about it. Most definitely worth a gander.
Portadown Red- This is a smoother finish than the McGrath’s red we tried. The difference in finish between the two styles is immediately apparent, with this adopting a more caramelly quality. Which was better? If I had to choose, I’d say McGrath’s. But then again, you might not fancy a partially-dissolved curry paste beer.
The County’s Bounty:
Overall, the beer produced by the orchard county was a solid showing. I’d like to revisit McCracken’s in greater detail, and Armagh Brewing Co has since entered the chat. It would B-rewed not to (I’ll see myself out).
Shite talk aside, McCracken’s Portadown IPA is a lovely west-coast style that I will certainly revisit. The best thing about it is that their beer is now more readily available via their online store, with their mixed cases going at a mc-cracking price.
Thanks for reading. If you’ve any thoughts on beers past, future or present please let me know your craic in the comment section below.
Sometimes you need a rude awakening, in order to drink in peace.
Slán Abhaile,
Eamon
Brewed Awakening 