Earlier this month I was at the Sheridan’s Irish Food Festival, there was a lot of cider there and local brewery Brú were in the same spot as last year serving their lager, which is now gluten free. I was pleased to see a brand new brewery had a stand next to the Brú lads. Ó’Cléirigh Brewing Company is the first to open it’s doors in Cavan in modern times. The beer is called Virginja, it’s amber coloured and lightly carbonated. It’s an American Pale Ale brewed with Citra and Amarillo hops which give it a refreshing bitterness. It’s 5.2% so you couldn’t call it a session beer but I’d happily find a home for two or three of an evening. It’s a really good first beer!
Breffni Ó’Cléirigh and his bother John are the men behind the operation. John is doing some work over at the New Bristol Brewery in England at the moment as well and he is learning a lot there. The one thing I questioned was the industrial design of the label, coming as it does from a rural part of the country. Breffni cleared that up for me fairly quickly when he explained that he’s an architect and his brother is an electrician.
If you want to try the beer you may have to travel, it’s on draught in Healy’s, Viginia and Blessings, Cavan. Bottles can be found in O’Leary’s, Cootehill and McEvoy’s, Virginia with more to come. The best of luck to the lads, hopefully we’ll be seeing it across the country very soon. Sláinte!
The first beer from Cavan…ever! *
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Beer, Cavan, craft beer, Ireland, irish craft breweries. Bookmark the permalink.