G

GET set to brew up a storm as you join Ireland’s top craft brewers for the annual celebration of barley and hops at Killarney Beerfest from May 26 to 28.

Ballyvourney’s 9 White Deer Brewery along with twenty other craft beer producers from all over Ireland will bring over 100 craft beverages to Killarney Beerfest.

Elite craft brewers will descend on Killarney bringing with them kegs of tasty delights to quench the collective thirst of festival fans who can enjoy beer tasting master classes, a gala awards ceremony, competitions, tasty bites at the food village and live entertainment.

Once again, the league of extraordinary beer drinkers, in the guise of Beoir Ireland, will host their awards programme at the festival and various breweries will be putting their best new craft-mixtures up for consideration to see who rules the roost in 2017. The awards are open to all Irish Breweries North and South and the panel of judges is led by Reuben Gray of Beoir along with CAMRA and EBCU members. There are eight categories in total with top kudos going to the Beoir Champion Beer of Ireland.

Last year's winners, Kinnegar Brewing, will be hoping to have a repeat of the success they had with Flying Saucer, while last year's Trouble Brewery and White Hag Brewery will be hoping to gain a lead by working on the successes of their respective concoctions, Stakeout and Púca.

This year, the overall winning beer will get the opportunity to brew an exclusive craft beer for Carry Out Licence. Festival sponsor Carry Out Off Licence are offering this unique opportunity to brew a craft beer complete with a full promotional campaign with Ireland’s leading chain of off licences.

Or for those that just want to sit back and sip their stout then this music line up will keep your thirsty. Irish Folk Band Rackhouse Pilfer, trad heroes Beoga, fresh from collaborating with Ed Sheeran on his latest album Divide, as well as The Whileaways headline Killarney Beerfest alongside The Small Hours, The Tom Cats, The Rising, and DJ’s to keep you supping all night!

As well as all of this, there will be a fantastic variety of workshops. You'll have the perfect excuse to dispose of your perilously breakable wine glasses after learning about beer and food pairings with Caroline Hennessy, the award winning Irish food writer and broadcaster. ‘Say Cheese’ and combine some of the finest craft ciders with cheese at the insightful and exciting cheese and cider pairing hosted by Jacqueline Stedman of Liquid Curiosity. Dean McGuinness of
Newstalk’s Movies & Booze will present Beer Flavour in the Brain – an understanding of how our brains process the flavour of craft beer. Take it from us, it promises to be enlightening! And Christina Wade President of Ladies Craft Beer Society highlights the role of women within the industry. The guys who put the hip into hops, the National Homebrew Club, will also be rocking about leading Brewing Demos workshops which will help you learn more about your own brew bubbling away in the corner at home.

Here is your golden opportunity to treat yourself to a selection of great tipples. It will be a packed weekend, so you should feel positively ebullient if you're a craft beer aficionado! From the experienced beer sommelier to the novice pint drinker Killarney Beerfest suitable for people of all levels of knowledge and interest.
 

 
Above: If the beer cap fits: Don O’Leary, left, and Gordon Lucey, awardwinning craft beer producers, Ballyvourney’s 9 White Deer Brewery, Co Cork, getting in the mood for Killarney Beerfest, which takes place at The Gleneagle Hotel from May 26-28.
PICTURE: VALERIE O'SULLIVAN