St Mel’s Brewing Company in Longford have began distribution of their first three beers, I heard that Murphy’s Law in Athlone had all three so I took my first chance to try them. Liam Hanlon the brewer has plenty of experience gleaned from his time with Carlow Brewing/O’Hara’s. The three they’ve decided to unleash first are a Helles Lager, a Brown Ale and a Pale Ale. I reckoned the best one to try first was the Helles. It’s very refreshing and it looks great. I can see this one tempting folk away from their regular macro lagers.
Next I got stuck into the Brown Ale. It’s very satisfying, kind of chewy malt and a little bit dry. Which of course makes you want more!
And last but certainly not least the Pale Ale. I had it with a take away from Kin Khao. We tend to mix the yellow and red chicken curries because we’re crazy like that. It works! The Pale Ale is a good match for a spicy dish but it would also be great by itself. I’m not able to declare any of the three better than the others. They all stand up very well. Give them a try. They’re in Athlone, Longford and Dublin and they’ll soon be widely available.