BEER, craft brewing, sustainability and food pairings are among the topics of a new podcast series from the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI), supported by Bord Bia.
Clare features strongly in the new limited edition podcast series, which is entitled ‘Craft Community, the Local Irish Beer Podcast’.
Peter Curtin and Birgitta Hedin Curtin, of The Roadside Tavern, Burren Brewery and The Burren Smokehouse are ideally placed to provide expert insights and tips on food pairings and beer styles. They share their culinary and brewing secrets in Episode Five of the series, alongside the proprietors of The Dungarvan Brewery and The Whitefield Brewery.
Hosted by beer sommelier and award-winning drinks writer, Susan Boyle, the podcast series aims to raise awareness of the Irish craft brewing sector and to encourage people in Ireland to find out more about the craft beers being produced locally.
Over six episodes, host Susan will be joined by some of Ireland’s leading craft breweries on themes including sustainability, branding, craft production, and business development. The weekly episodes will highlight the diverse community of crafters and entrepreneurs behind some of the most popular Irish craft brews, and the topics include:
Episode One looks at the business of beer, and features Rye River Brewing Company, Carlow Brewing, Connemara Brewing and Dead Centre Brewing. This episode explores business development, how to entice new consumers to try craft beer, and comments on the changing drinking habits in Ireland.
The second episode looks at community roots in craft brewing and features Brehon Brewhouse, West Kerry Brewery and Tom Crean Brewery. This episode explores how a sense of place influences a brewery, and its craft beers.
Crafting a strong brand is the topic of Episode Three, which features Rascals Brewing, Porterhouse Brewing Company and Lineman. This wide-ranging episode captures the importance of building a unique, authentic brand and tone of voice.
Episode Four hears all about the art of craft beer featuring Black Donkey Brewing, Bridewell Brewery and Canvas Brewing. The creative inspiration behind, and process of producing craft beers is examined in this episode.
The fifth episode looks at food pairings and beer styles, while the sixth and final episode in this series hears about sustainable brewing. It features Ballykilcavan Brewery, Hope Beer and Kinnegar. The final episode hears from three breweries with different sustainable business practices in place; from both a social and environmental perspective.
“There is so much more to craft beer than hops, yeast, malts and water,” Susan said. “It’s a dazzling combination of place and time, the ingredients used, how they’ve been layered, and the story of those who have brewed it. We hope that this podcast lifts the lid on this thriving industry and gets people thinking differently about our vibrant craft community.”
The podcast series follows the success of last year’s Irish Beer Map campaign, also supported by Bord Bia.
“We know that consumer awareness of the quality and variety of styles of craft beer being produced in Ireland is lower than that of wine or spirits,” said Michael Jacob, Drinks Sector Manager with Bord Bia. “Craft beer, remains a niche product in the overall Irish beer market, representing 3.5% of total beer sales. However, given the high calibre and quality of microbreweries in Ireland we believe there are opportunities to grow the market and make craft beer more accessible to a wider consumer audience.”
Last year, ICBI and Bord Bia developed a new database to map craft breweries in Ireland and to promote the craft brewing industry to existing and new consumers alike. In total, 66 breweries participated in the initiative demonstrating the breadth and expertise of craft brewing within Ireland.
‘Craft Community: A Local Irish Beer Podcast’ is available on Spotify and a range of audio platforms. More details are available at @irishbeer.ie and #CraftCommunityPodcast.