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"Should one of the state's leading cultural institutions be shilling for a drinks company?"A storm is brewing over Imma tweet Should one of the state’s leading cultural institutions be shilling for a drinks company? Last week the Twitter account of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma) gave a shout-out to a brewer in Dublin 8. “We were delighted to visit Rascals for a premium guided tour with beer tasting,” simpered Imma. “The place was incredible, their craft beer really good, we had so much fun.” And it added ominously: “We’ll be back soon.” Spoilsport Atticus asked if this tweet was appropriate, with the government busy passing laws restricting the promotion of alcohol. We got no response from Imma’s social media person, but the tweet promptly disappeared.

So opened a section of the Atticus column in The Sunday Times of 15th December 2019. It had been prompted by a tweet from the Irish Museum of Modern Art, celebrating a co-operative venture among companies and organisations in Dublin 8. IMMA staff were expressing their delight at visiting the nearby taproom of Rascals Brewery. "We had so much fun", they said, according to Atticus.

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Trouble PouringFor those who weren’t at the ICB brewery tour at Trouble HQ recently, we announced a tentative plan to hold a brewing competition. The competition will select a home-brewed beer to be scaled up to a commercial batch size in our Allenwood brewery and be sold at the Franciscan Well Easterfest in 2011.

Here’s the T&C’s:

 

 

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Hilden Twisted Hop Hilden Brewing Company have won a major international award for their Twisted Hop pale ale.

The first Dublin Craft Beer Cup was held at the Alltech Gathering Craft Brewing and Distilling Conference at Convention Centre Dublin. The two day conference culminated with the announcement of the gold, silver and bronze medal winners from among a wide selection of beers from Europe, North America and the antipodes, judged by an international panel of experts. In taking the top prize, the Co. Antrim brewery beat such high profile producers as Stone, Thornbridge, Sierra Nevada and Three Floyds.

Medals were also awarded to Carlow Brewing for their Leann Folláin stout (gold), Irish Red (gold), Barrel-aged Leann Folláin (silver), Irish Stout (bronze) and Pale Ale (bronze). Newly arrived Kinsale Pale Ale won a bronze medal and Hilden also took a bronze for their Barney's Brew wheat beer.

Founded in 1981, Hilden is Ireland's oldest independent brewery. Twisted Hop, a 4.7% ABV beer made with Galaxy and Brewer's Gold hops, is one of the newest additions to their range.

For a full list of the winners in the Dublin Craft Beer Cup, click here.

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Rossa and Galaxy Pale AleAfter a good four and a half minutes of soul searching, we made the momentous decision to revisit the Troublemaker competition for 2012. We've also made a few tweaks to the rules and regulations after feedback from the inaugural competition (winner Rossa O'Neill, pictured right). This time round a greater weight will be placed on the taste, rather than the practicalities of brewing the beer.

We'll also endeavour to provide feedback on each of the beers after the judging night, rather than just the final score, which was one of the main items that was requested as an improvement.

And since the resulting brew will be a once off we're looking to make a non-Reinheitsgebot beer, though this is by no means essential, so brewers are encouraged to brew a beer using ingredients other than water, barley and hops. (Though using yeast as that radical non-compliant element won't win any friends nor influence people!) Anyway just to restate the rules...

 

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With all the coverage recently about what the labels on alcoholic drinks should or shouldn't say, one side that nobody thought to ask is us, the consumers. Everyone recognises that we need to be informed about the products we buy, but exactly what and how? Alcoholic beverages have a long, and in Beoir's view inappropriate, exemption from the rules around the labelling of food. Now that there are moves to change the law, it is appropriate to ask drinkers what exactly they want their beer packaging to tell them.

This is where the European Beer Consumers Union has stepped in. This summer it's asking the drinkers of Europe and beyond, about the information which ought to be required on the packaging of beer. The result will be presented to brewing industry representatives and European policymakers at the annual EBCU reception in Brussels in September.

And of course, we want your opinion. The survey is open until 13th August 2023 and only takes a few minutes to fill in. Have your say, and maybe improve the situation for beer consumers across Europe.

Click here to start the survey.