Choosing your first drink at a beer festival is not always easy. You could try crossing your fingers while saying a silent prayer to Ninkasi, the ancient goddess of beer, asking for guidance to the holy grail of ales. It’d probably be easier, though, to find a brewery you like already and ask for their festival special.
Or you could try following the list below – which might take a little more concentration, of the organised-fun kind – to guide you through different beer styles to expand your palate, challenge your taste buds and enhance your knowledge of the magic that happens when yeast, water, hops and malt come together.
IPA: India Pale Ales are the "rock stars" of the craft beer world. That's according to Lotte Peplow from the American Brewers Association, who are visiting this year's RDS festival with a huge range of bottles and cans not usually available in Ireland. They certainly know their IPAs in the US and you'll get many different variations on offer from the Voodoo Ranger and Born & Raised, to Monumental and the (simply put) Be Hoppy IPA.
Many of the Irish brewers, meanwhile have special festival IPAs on offer, like 8 Degrees Monsoon Mango and Lime IPA which is definitely worth a try, while Western Herd has their new 4.2 per cent session IPA, called Islander. Wicklow Wolf has a new triple-hopped Imperial IPA called Bark & Bite – a big one at 9 per cent.
Saison: Not everyone is a fan of this distinctive-tasting beer – but festivals are all about trying something new, so give it a go. This Belgian style is made with a special Saison yeast, and it will usually be dry with an earthy, grassy kind of profile. Black Donkey does a great Irish Saison and at this year's festival they've given it a twist as part of their Unhinged beer range. Bog Fire is a Rye Saison that has plenty of "farmhouse funk" with a hint of turf smoke from their smoked malt.
New England IPA: If you've heard about the rise of cloudy beers, it's all down to this style. Technically a sub-style of the India Pale Ale, the New England IPA (NEIPA) has lots of lovely, juicy flavours with a smooth finish. Tends to be around the 6 per cent, alcohol-wise, with a soft bitterness. Look out for Sligo brewers White Hag who have their new NEIPA at the RDS this year called Atlantean or Western Herd's Cliff Road. (Then try Boyne Brewhouse's Old English IPA, as a comparison)
A barrel-aged stout: Mitchelstown brewers 8 Degrees have created a stout aged in Pinot Noir barrels. Infused with cacao husk from their local bean-to-bar chocolatiers Wilkies Chocolate, it's balanced, complex, warming but very drinkable at 5 per cent.
A collaboration beer: Sullivan's Brewing Company from Kilkenny – whose red ale was awarded best in the world – has made a special collaboration Kiwi and Lime Pale ale with the Hellfire Brew Club for the festival. Also worth a try is Kinnegar and White Hag's collaboration called The Hare and the Hag, an Irish coffee stout, and one of the few remaining kegs.
Irish Craft Beer Festival, RDS, Dublin 4. Doors open 5pm-11.15pm on Friday and 2pm-11.15pm on Saturday.
