The Best Places To Buy Irish Beer

Irish beer is widely available at online and in-store retailers. Popular options include Guinness, Murphy's, Smithwick's, Wexford, and O'Hara's. Online retailers such as GotoLiquorStore, Skillman Wine & Liquor, and Total Wine & More offer a variety of Irish beers for purchase, with some requiring the user to be of legal drinking age and provide an address to view product availability. Kroger also offers a range of Irish beers, including Guinness and George Killian's Irish Red Lager, with options for in-store pickup and delivery.

Online retailers for Irish beer

There are several online retailers that sell Irish beer. Here is a list of some of the top options:

Total Wine & More

Total Wine & More offers a wide range of Irish beers, including popular brands such as Guinness, Smithwick's, and Magners. They have a variety of options, from draught beers to cans and bottles, as well as non-alcoholic varieties. Total Wine & More also offers deals and discounts on selected beer brands.

O'Briens Wine

O'Briens Wine is an Irish family business that offers a range of high-quality beers from Ireland and around the world. They have a selection of the best Irish craft beers, as well as recommended brands from other countries. You can filter your search by type, such as lager, pale ale, or IPA. O'Briens Wine also offers free delivery in Ireland for orders over €100 and has a craft beer club subscription.

GotoLiquorStore

GotoLiquorStore provides a platform to buy beer, wine, and liquor online with delivery from local stores. They partner with local stores to fulfil orders and offer a mobile app for a better user experience. Pricing and availability may vary depending on your location.

Molloys Liquor Stores

Molloys Liquor Stores offer a large selection of Irish craft beers, with options for next-day delivery. They have a range of craft beers, ales, and lagers to suit different palates. Molloys also offers free delivery for orders over €100.

Drinkstore.ie

Drinkstore.ie is an online specialist off-licence retailer that offers a wide range of beers, wines, spirits, and liqueurs. They provide free shipping for orders over €200 in the Republic of Ireland and have a click-and-collect option from their store in Stoneybatter.

These online retailers provide a convenient way to purchase Irish beer, offering a variety of brands, craft beers, and delivery options to suit your needs.

Irish beer in the US

Beer is perhaps one of Ireland's best-known exports, and with good reason. The country has a rich history of brewing, and at one time was home to over 200 breweries, with 55 of them in Dublin alone. While there are fewer breweries today, the Irish tradition of brewing distinctive, flavourful beers continues.

Where to Buy Irish Beer in the US

Many Irish beers are available to purchase in the United States, either in-store or online. Some of the most popular Irish beers, such as Guinness, Smithwick's, Harp, and Murphy's, can be found in most liquor retailers across the country.

Online Options

For those looking to buy online, websites such as Total Wine, Drizly, and GotoLiquorStore offer a variety of Irish beers for delivery.

Popular Irish Beers

Guinness is the most famous of the Irish beers, known for its distinctive black colour and white head. It is a dry stout with a creamy texture and notes of coffee, chocolate, and roasted barley.

Other well-known Irish beers include Smithwick's Irish Ale, Harp Lager, and Murphy's Irish Stout. Smithwick's, like Guinness, has been around for centuries and is known for its Irish red ale. Harp, a lager, was created by Guinness to compete with other pale lagers and is now considered its own brand, especially popular in Northern Ireland. Murphy's Irish Stout is often described as lighter and less bitter than Guinness, with notes of caramel, malt, and even chocolate milk.

Lesser-Known Irish Beers

In addition to the more popular brands, there are several lesser-known Irish beers worth trying. These include O'Hara's, produced by one of the largest craft brewers in Ireland, Carlow Brewing Company; Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, which has a nitrogenated cream head and a surprisingly light, refreshing taste; and Scraggy Bay, a strong, golden ale produced by Donegal-based brewer Kinnegar.

So, whether you're hosting a St. Patrick's Day party or simply looking to explore the diverse world of Irish beers, there is a variety of options available in the United States to suit all tastes.

Popular Irish beer brands

There are several popular Irish beer brands that are widely recognised and available internationally. One of the most well-known is Guinness, which has been described as an "iconic" beer with a perfect rounded flavour of bitter and sweet. It is a dry Irish stout, characterised by its dark colour, smooth texture, and flavours of roast coffee and chocolate. The beer is often served using a special 2-part pouring method, creating a thick head of foam. Other popular Guinness varieties include the Extra Stout, Baltimore Blonde, and Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.

Another popular Irish beer is Smithwick's Irish Ale, which is said to have a gentle bitterness balanced by sweet, malty notes. It is one of the most popular ales in Ireland and was originally brewed in Kilkenny. Harp Lager is also a well-known Irish beer, produced by the same company as Guinness. It offers a crisp and easy-drinking alternative to roasty ales.

Other notable Irish beer brands include Murphy's Irish Stout, O'Hara's Irish Stout, and Magners Irish Cider. Murphy's is known for its smooth and creamy texture, with notes of toffee, chocolate, and coffee. O'Hara's, on the other hand, is an independent, family-owned company that crafts a full-bodied stout with a creamy pour and robust espresso flavour. Magners, while not technically a beer, is an Irish hard cider made with 17 varieties of apples and a traditional fermentation process.

Irish stout

When poured, an Irish stout should have a dark chestnut colour with ruby red highlights. On the nose, it should have a roast coffee and bittersweet chocolate aroma. In terms of taste, an Irish stout should be dry, with a clean, crisp finish and none of the lingering malt sweetness found in higher-gravity stouts or milk stouts.

Some popular Irish stouts include Guinness, Murphy's, and Beamish & Crawford. Guinness is the most well-known, with its Extra Stout and Draught Stout being the two flagship beers. Murphy's is an internationally recognised Irish stout, brewed since 1856 in the Lady's Well Brewery in Cork. It is classified as an Irish Dry Stout, with a dark colour and a medium body. Beamish & Crawford has a more limited distribution in Ireland, which may contribute to its devoted following.

Other Irish stouts worth trying include O'Hara's Irish Stout, Galway Bay Brewery's Buried at Sea Milk Stout, and Breckenridge Brewery's Nitro Irish Stout.

Irish ale

Irish red ale, also known simply as Irish ale, is a style of pale ale that is brewed using kilned malts and roasted barley, which gives the beer its characteristic red colour. Its alcohol content typically falls between 3.8% and 4.8% by volume, though some craft brews can contain as much as 6% alcohol. While the origins of Irish red ale are unknown, it is said that ale has been brewed in Kilkenny since the 14th century. The ideal conditions for brewing and distilling in Kilkenny, such as the favourable climate and plentiful supply of coal, allowed the industry to thrive.

Perhaps the most famous example of an Irish red ale is Smithwick's, which was established in 1710 by John Smithwick at St. Francis Abbey. The current brand was launched in 1965 after Guinness acquired the company, and today Smithwick's is considered the most common macro-brewed variety of Irish red ale. Other popular examples include Franciscan Well Rebel Red, Rascal's Big Hop Red, and J.W. Sweetman Irish Red Ale.

If you are of legal drinking age and looking to buy Irish ale, be sure to check the product availability in your local area, as some retailers may only offer delivery from local stores or have specific pick-up options.

Frequently asked questions