You can’t beat a beer at lunchtime on a day off. We went to Grogan’s, Glasson for lunch yesterday. Their deep fried brie was almost as good as the one I made New Year’s Day! They’ve gotten in O’Hara’s IPA and Curim Wheat Beer as well as Madden’s Cider in bottles. I went for the IPA with a BLT. I probably didn’t need the cheese on the huge BLT and I wasn’t able to finish it. That’s a good complaint though, Grogan’s is a great spot to visit with friends or family.
We continued around Lough Ree to Roscommon where we stopped in JJ Harlow’s with the specific intention of trying Black Donkey’s Belgian American Amber Pilot. The malt came through more than the hops. I spoke with Richard Siberry, the brewer after drinking it and he explained that, while the beer has elements of an Irish Red, an American Amber and a Belgian Dubbel it wasn’t strictly speaking adhering to any of those styles. It is a good session beer and it held my interest. I know he is going to continue tweaking the recipe so keep trying it if you are near JJ Harlow’s or The Salt House, Galway. I can’t wait to see what the end result is like. Apparently there are more epic labels in the works to keep Sheep Stealer company too.
They also had White Gypsy’s Dark Night on cask in JJ Harlow’s, so it would’ve been remiss of me not to have a glass. It’s a strong dark ale that would warm you up on a Winter evening. The malts are roasted and a little sweet and there’s a touch of blackberry jam. It’s a bit chewy, you could say there was eating and drinking in it. It’s always great to get to visit Harlow’s and despite it’s size it manages to feel cozy by the fire. Sláinte!
