Hops

Is hops grown in Ireland? Historically, barely at all. Ireland imported its hops from England—through Dublin alone, more than 500 tons of English hops entered the country in 1752. Even today, the cones used by most breweries are imported, and the southeast is no exception. Smithwick's brewers in Kilkenny, too, relied on hops sourced from abroad. That's one reason Irish beers seem so quiet and round compared to English and American ones: hop quantity was never the main focus.

In Irish Red, the hops stay in the background. The style guidelines call for bitterness of 18 to 28 IBU. That's the unit of measurement for bitterness, and here it sits well below a pale ale with bold aroma hops. A Red lets the malt lead: the sweetness of caramel and biscuit is merely balanced by the hops.

English varieties often serve as the model, tasting more earthy, spicy, or lightly floral than fruity. Some are added early in the boil, since they provide bitterness, while a smaller portion goes in late so a bit of aroma remains in the beer.

A few Irish farms have now begun growing their own hops. Well known is the hop farm of Wicklow Wolf on the slopes of Djouce Mountain in neighboring County Wicklow. It's an exception and represents a young craft scene that likes to source its ingredients locally.