Smithwick's: Ireland's Oldest Ale profile picture

Smithwick's: Ireland's Oldest Ale

Smithwick's is here and it's bringing the luck of the Irish!

About Me

Are you going for a pint?
Smithwick's is an Irish red ale style beer from Kilkenny in Ireland. It originated from and is still brewed at St. Francis Abbey Brewery in the city. Known as 'Smithwicks Brewery' until c.2000, it was founded in 1710 by the Franciscan monks and later the name Smithwick's came from John Smithwick. It has the ruins of the original Franciscan abbey in its grounds. It is the major ale producer in Ireland. It was purchased from Irish Ale Breweries in 1965 by Guinness and is now, along with Guinness, part of Diageo.
Smithwick’s exceptional taste, distinctive colour and purity of ingredients make it unique. Its rich, satisfying taste has earned it five gold medals in the famous Monde Selection Beer Tasting Competition.
Smithwick’s is produced using the finest hops and special roasted, malted barley. In 1998 a new enhanced draught product with improved head retention was launched along with redesigned glassware.


My Interests



Smithwick's Draught has a ruby red tone with a stable, but slightly thin head. Its texture is smooth and refined, with a bitter and complex finish. Although of lesser fame than Guinness, Smithwick's is often regarded as the 'local favourite' amongst Irish pubgoers. In 2004, Diageo PLC began distribution in the USA. Smithwick's had previously been marketed in Canada with great success.

Smithwick's Barley Wine is now brewed by Macardle Moore Brewery, another Guinness-owned brewery.

Kilkenny Cream Ale is a similar beer to Smithwick's Draught, however it has a cream head similar to Guinness and has a stronger taste (more bitter than Smithwicks). The 'Kilkenny' name was originally used during the '80's and '90's to market a stronger version of Smithwick's for the European and Canadian market due to difficulty in pronunciation of the word Smithwick's; but it now refers to a similar yet distinctly different beer.

Favorite Pubs

Lawlor's Bar & Guesthouse
Cleeres
Victor's Bar
Biddy Earlys
Matt the Millers
Langtons
Rafter Dempseys
Kytelers Inn
The Pumphouse
The Widows
O'Faolains
Syd Harkins Pub
Thelokes
Kieran Bollard
Lenehans
Anna Conda
The Long Man of Kilfane
Fox and Goose
Carrolls
Kilford Arms
Bollards Bar and Restaurant
Caislean Ui Cuain
Rasher Tierney
Finn McCool's Irish Pub
Kelly's
Maloney's
Paddy O'Quigley's Pub & Grill
Byrne's Pub
Tipperary Inn
PJ O'Connor's
Fox and Hound

I'd like to meet:

Lovers of great beer.

Music:

How do you say it?
When pronouncing the name Smithwick's, the 'W' is silent. In Ireland, it is generally pronounced as 'Smithicks', 'Smitticks', 'Smidicks' or 'Smeth-icks'. The variation of pronunciations is mostly due to differing accent and dialects of the Irish. When ordering in the US, 'Smithicks' is the preferred method, while 'Smiddicks' is the most prevalent pronunciation in Canada.

Movies:

Some more Smithwick's history

In the early 1700's Richard Cole and John Smithwick established a partnership and operated as a small retail brewery. Smithwick's Brewery expanded during the lifetime of John's son, Edmund (1800-76). A large nineteenth century brewery was constructed by Edmund Smithwick. E. Smithwick and Sons was established as a private company in 1898 and continued to grow throughout the twentieth century.
In 1965, Smithwick's became a public company as part of Irish Ale Breweries. In the same year, Arthur Guinness, Son and Company (Dublin) Ltd. took complete financial control of the operation. A modernisation plan was launched in 1964 with the construction of a new brew house. A large fermentation block, a storage vessel block and packaging plant were also installed. This twentieth-century construction has subsequently been updated and replaced by a twenty-first century, computer-operated brewery.

Television:

Click here for more info

Smithwick's Comedy on Tap Festival
Letterkenny
July 2007

Smithwick's Erkina Festival
Rathdowney
July 2007

Books:



Heroes:



St. Patrick, Micheal Collins, John Smithwick, Richard Cole, Arthur Guinness

My Blog

Céad míle fáilte (A Hundred Thousand Welcomes)

This site was developed by a lover of Smithwick's Irish Ale and it's meant to promote this fine beer.  This is not one of those sites set up merely for name fame that isn't maintained. &nbs...
Posted by Smithwick's: Ireland's Oldest Ale on Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:12:00 PST