by Jim Flash Gordon, Revolution & Oskars
I’m always a bit worried getting new beers on draught, will the punters like them, will the staff embrace them, am I mad getting rid of the main stream beers, one by one ? I suppose I am. Life if full of challenges, and the craft beer market is moving fast, if you’re not on it, you’re gonna get left behind!
Last month we tried Mikiller’s American dream, an unrivalled success story in terms of sales, staff buy in and OMG, tasted magical. Then there was McGargles IPA, a disaster, no real in your face taste, staff hated it, customers did not take to it, let’s get rid of it.
That’s the way for Craft Beers, this month in both Oskars & Revolution we are putting in Franciscan Well Beers. The Franciscan Well Brewery was founded in 1998 on the North Mall in Cork City and is built on the site of an old Franciscan Monastery and Well, dating back to the year 1219. Legend has it that the water from the well has miraculous and curative properties and people would come from afar to drink from it.
The Brewery has combined modern technology with old age tradition in forming classic beer styles including lager, ale, stout and wheat beer. All the beers brewed at the Franciscan Well are natural, and do not contain any chemical additives or preservatives and are made with the best ingredients. (Love that bit, beer is good for you! )
First 2 Beers for Tasting will be –
REBEL RED –
“A robust amber ale with a distinct caramel flavour imparted by crystal malt and balanced by the hop varieties challenger and fuggles.” It pours dark amber in colour with a persisting off white head. Fruity blackcurrant and sultana aroma. Flavour of fruit and nut toffee, and 70’s sweetshop penny chew kinda taste. All fairly familiar, but lifted by creamy mouth feel and a nice, if somewhat short-lived, bitter finish. I was hoping to be disparaging about a mega-corp version of craft beer, but this is good stuff, entry level ale at its best.
FRIAR WEISSE WHEAT BEER
“A German style unfiltered wheat beer with citrus notes on the palate and powerful aroma of clove and banana, imparted by a unique yeast strain.”
A nice full white head on pouring, the body of this beer is expectedly very cloudy golden. Nose is banana, toffee and cream. Flavour is sharp citrus with hints of banana, straw on the finish, lingering floral taste. Mouth feel is nice with quite a lot of carbonation. Not OTT on flavour but it’s refreshing, a decent Weisse Beer. A keeper in this category I think.
These are Guest Beer at Revolution – come along and try them while they last, ask for a taste, that’s what it’s all about. Cheers for now!
