Five Irish IPAs to try – and not a green beer or sore head in sight

Session beers can be a bit unpredictable when it comes to alcohol content, though they should really be between 3 and 4.5 per cent. They should also be relatively easy-going, “designed to be consumed without overtaxing the drinker in either flavour or intensity”, according to Randy Mosher in his excellent Tasting Beer book.

And while I admire the rule-breaking and reinventing that go with craft brewing, it’s great when you come across a beer that achieves exactly what it sets out to do by sticking to a style.

McGargles' Daragh's Grapefruit Session IPA (3.8 per cent) is a limited edition made by Rye River Brewing, in Co Kildare. It's a lovely little beer: there's a bit of hoppiness on the nose, it's light-bodied but not watery (which can be problem with lower-alcohol beers), and there's a smooth mouthfeel, with a balanced and lovely pithy grapefruit bitterness.

If you want to take it up a little in terms of alcohol and flavour intensity, there are plenty of IPAs within the 5-6 per cent range on the shelves to choose from. Among the newer releases is Outlier by Larkin's Brewing in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow. This is a 5 per cent IPA, with lots of fresh citrus and tropical-fruit flavour – overall it's a solid, tasty example of a modern IPA. Also worth keeping an eye out for are Dot Brew's new releases, which include a session IPA, So Far So Good, at 3.2 per cent, and Straight Up IPA, at 6.6 per cent.

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To go bigger, check out White Hag's Fionn double IPA, at 8.5 per cent. This pours a nice hazy orange, and there's lots of fruity flavour, of peach and apricot, and a very soft body, with low bitterness. It's juicy, layered and keeps you interested right to the end.

[ @ITbeerista ]