Killarney Brewing Company

THE old Killarney mineral water bottling plant on the Muckross road is the home of Killarney brewing company. Its been just over a year since they opened their doors with a bang and the popularity of its beers continue to grow at a fantastic pace. Beers are available on draft all over Kerry and in bottle nationwide. “If you don’t see it in your local pub or off licence, make sure you ask for it” says Barry Spellman, general manager of Killarney Brewing Company.

As well as a fully functioning brewery on the Muckross road, there is a visitor centre on site where people are taken on a guided tour of the facility to learn all about the brewing process. “We’re open from 3.30pm-8.00pm, Tuesday through Saturday, from March to the end of October,” said Barry.

Visitors get to taste, smell and feel the ingredients that go into making the four craft beers that Killarney Brewing Company currently has on the market. Each one is named to reflect the locality: the India Pale ale is called ‘the Scarlet Pimpernel,’ named after local hero, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty. The oatmeal stout, ‘the Casey brothers extra stout’ is a nod to wrestlers from Sneem; their lager is ‘the Devil’s Helles,’ named after local landmark ‘The Devil’s Punchbowl,’ and ‘Golden Spear,’ is the blonde ale that takes its name from the spear that Fionn Mc Cumhaill used to kill a wild boar on Torc mountain.

At the helm of the brewing process in Andrew Rosette from Portland, Oregon, who brings with him an extensive knowledge of commercial brewing, having worked in the industry for several years. “There are no preservatives or additives in our beers – there is no chemical content at all. It is a purely natural product,” Andrew said. “We very much wanted to develop American style ale, lager and stouts and Andrew has been a great help to us, bringing what’s new and upcoming and really setting the trend,” Barry said.