Five alternative stouts for St Patrick's day
Forget Guinness! Here are the stouts you should be drinking this St Paddy's Day
This St Patrick's Day, many of you lager and ale drinkers are likely to break your routine to sample a snifter of Ireland's national drink. Some of you might even drink so much that the bar gives you a daft green hat emblazoned with a shamrock – shame rock, more like.
While we can't condone spewing up onyx liquid after a night of rampage on the black stuff, there's nothing amiss with ordering a lovely pint of Guinness in honour of the bloke who chased snakes out of Ireland. But there are so many even more delicious malty delights out there to be discovered. Here are five craft stouts we recommend you try to help your St Paddy's day go with a swing.
Brooklyn Big Black Chocolate Stout
Let’s begin with something intense and creamy. This imperial stout from stalwarts Brooklyn Brewery uses a silky blend of six malts to create a raven bevvy full of dark chocolate and liquorice flavours. Scoff it down with a wedge of chocolate cake and you’ve got a heavenly St Paddy’s Day right there.
Cherry Heartless
This little beauty came heartily recommended when we popped into Manchester’s wonderful beer cave Beermoth. From Macclesfield’s award-winning Red Willow Brewery, this sweet, eminently drinkable stout has buckets of flavour – really fruity and chocolatey. Imagine a boozy black forest gateau in liquid form.
Hawkshead Imperial Stout
This barrel-aged stout, from a great Cumbrian brewery, has masses of punch. The complex flavours call to mind roasted coffee and toasted porridge oats. Sharp, bitter and earthy, this is one to be sipped, savoured and appreciated.
Boundary Export Stout
If you’re looking for something Irish to replace your Guinness this St Patrick's Day, you’ll find few better brews than this well-rounded stout from Belfast’s Boundary. It’s heady with hints of chocolate, toffee, coffee and dried fruit, with a slightly sour finish.
Rasputin
Dutch outfit Brouwerij de Molen know their beers, and this big ol’ stout is a winner. Very rich, creamy and dark in color, this bad boy will knock your socks off. It’s 9%, but with none of the bite and unwelcome aftertaste you associate with such a hefty brew. The flavour here is smoky malt rather than the typical chocolate hints.
Many thanks to Liam at Beermoth, Manchester for some of the above suggestions beermoth.co.uk/shop