--- title: "7 Irish Beers Beyond Guinness" description: "Beyond Guinness, Ireland has many other beer brands and styles to enjoy in the island's favorite social pastime, drinking beer." url: https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/irish-beers-beyond-guinness/ date: 2017-07-03 modified: 2026-10-17 author: "Carlos Uhart M." image: https://www.thebeertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bandera-Irlanda.jpg categories: ["Opinion", "Travel"] tags: ["Guinness", "Ireland", "Opinion", "Travel"] type: post lang: en --- # 7 Irish Beers Beyond Guinness [Guinness](https://www.thebeertimes.com/guinness-la-cerveza-que-mantuvo-a-irlanda-fuera-de-la-ii-guerra-mundial/) is a symbol of Ireland and **one of the best-known beers on the planet**, but it is far from the only thing to drink on the Emerald Isle. ![Irish flag](https://www.thebeertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bandera-Irlanda.jpg)*7 Irish beers beyond Guinness* The quintessential black pint floods the pubs **and is even used for cooking**, as in Guinness stew. Beyond Guinness, though, **there are many other brands and styles** to join in what is probably the most common social activity on the island, drinking beer. The best known are Smithwick’s and Kilkenny, two Irish Red Ales; Murphy’s and Beamish, the two Cork stouts; Harp, the quintessential Irish lager, and the craft beers O’Hara’s and Galway Hooker. Contenido - [What Are the Best-Known Irish Beers?](#What_Are_the_Best-Known_Irish_Beers) - [7 Irish Beers](#7_Irish_Beers) - [1. Smithwick’s](#1_Smithwick8217s) - [2. Kilkenny](#2_Kilkenny) - [3. O’Hara’s](#3_O8217Hara8217s) - [4. Galway Hooker](#4_Galway_Hooker) - [5. Murphy’s](#5_Murphy8217s) - [6. Beamish](#6_Beamish) - [7. Harp](#7_Harp) - [Which Beer Is Similar to Guinness?](#Which_Beer_Is_Similar_to_Guinness) - [Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)](#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQ) - [1. What Is the Most Famous Irish Beer Besides Guinness?](#1_What_Is_the_Most_Famous_Irish_Beer_Besides_Guinness) - [2. Which Beer Is Similar to Guinness?](#2_Which_Beer_Is_Similar_to_Guinness) - [3. Are Kilkenny and Smithwick’s the Same Beer?](#3_Are_Kilkenny_and_Smithwick8217s_the_Same_Beer) - [4. Where Is Smithwick’s Brewed Today?](#4_Where_Is_Smithwick8217s_Brewed_Today) - [5. What Is an Irish Red Ale?](#5_What_Is_an_Irish_Red_Ale) - [Recommended](#Recommended) ## What Are the Best-Known Irish Beers? | Beer | Style | Origin | Who brews it today | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Smithwick’s | Irish Red Ale | Kilkenny, 1710 | Diageo, at St James’s Gate (Dublin) | | Kilkenny | Irish Cream Ale | Kilkenny, around 1987 | Diageo, at St James’s Gate (Dublin) | | O’Hara’s | Irish Stout, Red and Pale Ale | Carlow, 1996 | Carlow Brewing Company, in Bagenalstown | | Galway Hooker | Irish Pale Ale | Galway, 2006 | Galway Hooker (sold in 2026) | | Murphy’s | Irish Stout | Cork, 1856 | Heineken, at Lady’s Well (Cork) | | Beamish | Irish Stout | Cork, 1792 | Heineken, at Lady’s Well (Cork) | | Harp | Lager | Dundalk, 1960 | Diageo, at St James’s Gate (Dublin) | ## 7 Irish Beers ### 1. Smithwick’s Probably the most common beer after Guinness. This red beer, **a Red Ale or Irish Red Ale**, is more than 300 years old and comes from Kilkenny, where John Smithwick founded it in 1710. The family ran it until 1965, when **Guinness bought it**, now part of Diageo. Since late 2013 it has no longer been brewed in Kilkenny but at the St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, and the old site next to St Francis Abbey is now the Smithwick’s Experience visitor center. You can find it on tap in the vast majority of the country’s pubs. ### 2. Kilkenny Very similar in texture, color and flavor to Smithwick’s, **but for many (myself included) **even better. It was born around 1987 as the export version of Smithwick’s, a nitrogenated Irish Cream Ale, because the original name was hard to pronounce outside Ireland. It is named after the city and county of Kilkenny, in the southeast of the island. Within Ireland **it is easier to find in cans or bottles** at supermarkets and “off-licences” (shops licensed to sell alcoholic drinks) than on tap. ### 3. O’Hara’s A craft beer brand **you will rarely find on draft**, although it is easy to find in bottles. It is not too expensive and comes **in several top-fermented styles**, including Irish Stout, Irish Red, Irish Pale Ale and Leann Folláin, a stronger stout. It is brewed by Carlow Brewing Company, founded by brothers Seamus and Eamonn O’Hara in 1996 in the town of Carlow, **in the southeast of the island**. In 2009 it moved to a new brewery in Bagenalstown, in the same county, and since 2017 the Spanish group Hijos de Rivera (Estrella Galicia) has owned part of the company. ### 4. Galway Hooker Another relatively new beer and a point of pride for the Galway region. It was founded in 2006 by cousins Aidan Murphy and Ronan Brennan, who coined the term Irish Pale Ale for their flagship beer. It became a regular on the taps of Galway pubs, and in 2026, the year of its twentieth anniversary, it was sold to the Connacht Hospitality Group. ### 5. Murphy’s Another hugely famous Irish beer. Along with Guinness it is **the easiest to find abroad**, although in Ireland it is found mainly in Cork. ![Guía Práctica Catar Cerveza Amazon](https://www.thebeertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg) [Guía práctica para catar cerveza: Cómo apreciar correctamente todas las cervezas del mundo](https://amzn.to/3LddZmQ) [Comprar en Amazon](https://amzn.to/3LddZmQ) The pride of the city’s residents, who call themselves the “People’s Republic of Cork”, also rests on this brand, **which replaces Guinness in most pubs** in the region and is hard to find elsewhere. James J. Murphy founded it in 1856 at the Lady’s Well brewery in Cork, which has belonged to Heineken since 1983 and celebrated its 170th anniversary in 2026. The island is split **between Murphy’s drinkers and Guinness drinkers**, some say, but the truth is that both are quite similar in flavor and texture. ### 6. Beamish The third great Irish stout and the other face of Cork pride. The Beamish & Crawford brewery on South Main Street closed in 2009, and since then Heineken has brewed it at Lady’s Well, alongside Murphy’s. It is hard to find outside Cork, but anyone who tries it will notice a dry, roasty stout, somewhat lighter than Guinness. On this list it takes the place of Hilden, the Lisburn brewery in Northern Ireland founded in 1981 and famous for its Belfast Blonde, which [closed in March 2025](https://camra.org.uk/BEL/571/). ### 7. Harp Another of the country’s most commercial brands, **a lager-style beer**, light and refreshing. Its taps can be found in many pubs, and it is also stocked in plenty of shops. For decades it was brewed at the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, but since 2013 it has been made at St James’s Gate in Dublin, and the old building is now a whiskey distillery. Ideal for those few days when the sun comes out to warm the Irish meadows. ## Which Beer Is Similar to Guinness? The closest to Guinness is Murphy’s, another dry, roasty, nitrogenated Irish Stout, although slightly smoother and with a finish reminiscent of chocolate. Beamish, also from Cork, is the other great alternative and has an even lighter profile. Among craft beers, O’Hara’s Irish Stout offers a more pronounced roast and higher bitterness, and in Dublin the Porterhouse brewery makes Plain Porter, Oyster Stout, matured with oysters, and Wrasslers XXXX, a stronger stout. To understand what they all have in common, it helps to compare [Irish Stout and Irish Extra Stout](https://www.thebeertimes.com/stout-irlandesa-vs-stout-irlandesa-extra-cual-es-la-diferencia/), or to read the [Guinness Draught tasting notes](https://www.thebeertimes.com/guinness-draught-notas-de-cata-y-maridajes-recomendados/) before trying them. The creamy head of these canned beers comes from [the plastic ball inside nitrogenated Guinness](https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/why-does-nitrogenated-guinness-contain-a-plastic-ball-inside/), the widget that releases nitrogen when the can is opened. And if the plan is to try them all, the best day of the year is [St. Patrick’s Day](https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/why-do-we-celebrate-saint-patricks-day/). ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ### 1. What Is the Most Famous Irish Beer Besides Guinness? Smithwick’s is the most common beer in Irish pubs after Guinness. It is an Irish Red Ale founded in Kilkenny in 1710 and brewed today by Diageo at St James’s Gate, Dublin. Outside Ireland, Murphy’s and Kilkenny are the easiest to find. ### 2. Which Beer Is Similar to Guinness? Murphy’s and Beamish, the two Cork stouts brewed by Heineken, are the most similar to Guinness because they are dry, roasty Irish Stouts served with nitrogen. Among craft beers, O’Hara’s Irish Stout and the stouts from Porterhouse in Dublin stand out. ### 3. Are Kilkenny and Smithwick’s the Same Beer? Not exactly. Kilkenny was born around 1987 as the export version of Smithwick’s and is now sold as a nitrogenated Irish Cream Ale, while Smithwick’s is an Irish Red Ale. Both belong to Diageo and are brewed in Dublin. ### 4. Where Is Smithwick’s Brewed Today? Since late 2013 Smithwick’s has been brewed at the St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, the same one that makes Guinness. The old Kilkenny brewery became the Smithwick’s Experience visitor center. ### 5. What Is an Irish Red Ale? It is an Irish beer style, amber to copper in color, with caramel and toasted malt flavors, moderate bitterness and a dry finish. Smithwick’s is its best-known example, and the style is listed as 15A in the 2021 BJCP Guidelines. ## Recommended - [Guinness Draught Stout: Tasting Notes and Food Pairings Recommended by a Beer Sommelier](https://www.thebeertimes.com/guinness-draught-notas-de-cata-y-maridajes-recomendados/) - [Irish Stout vs Irish Extra Stout: What Is the Difference?](https://www.thebeertimes.com/stout-irlandesa-vs-stout-irlandesa-extra-cual-es-la-diferencia/)