&

Killarney Brewing Company will join forces with Tennessee Brew Works and will between them develop two new unique beers - one in Nashville and one in Killarney.

The two companies have struck up a relationship and an agreement to travel to each other’s locations to create the unique beers.

The brewmasters at the two micro-breweries want to improve international relations.

The two brew teams came together to create a low-alcohol by volume hazy summer India Pale Ale (IPA) that they are calling ‘The Foggy Dew’, after an Irish folk song. This new beer is currently on the market in Nashville after staff from Killarney visited the US plant recently.

Later this summer, head brewer with Tennessee Brew Works, Matt Simpson, will return the favour by travelling to Killarney to celebrate the local barley harvest and create another grain-to-glass craft beer that Killarney beer fans can enjoy in the Muckross Road tap-room.

Ireland’s network of over 30 Independent Craft Breweries launched their annual Indie Beer Week on Wednesday of this week. The Indie Beer Week will take place from Wednesday May 22 to Sunday 26, and feature a series of nationwide celebrations across Ireland.

“This year is very special as we are introducing to the public a striking symbol which will help consumers recognise a genuine independent artisan beer from a mass-produced, high volume beer produced by global giants,” Adrienne Heslin from West Kerry Brewery said at the launch. “The Independent Irish Craft Beer symbol will guarantee that a beer is made in a genuinely independent microbrewery in Ireland. As our organisation has been growing in such large numbers, we are unveiling the symbol to the public to promote independent and genuine microbrewers.”