Visiting Dublin next month

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I’ve always had a decent handle on the Dublin beer scene, popping in at least once, maybe twice a year whilst visiting my parents, however Covid shit has knocked my knowledge somewhat off kilter.

I’m heading there next month for an afternoon … some 29 months since my last visit, pre-lockdown, in SEP '19.

Anyone from the locale give me a heads up on key venues that have been lost ? Anywhere new opened up ?

The places list on RB seems somewhat stagnant and I’m guessing more places have gone than have opened?

Tagging the active Irish raters …or who seem to have logged in during the past month to 3 and exist on the new forum (new ! ha)

@culchiem
@stravale
@beerfest5
@Beersiveknown

Cheers !

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Hey Colin. Long time no speak. Not been to Dublin myself since Jan 2020. Know Galway’s bay have rebranded the bru place they took over but not sure about many new openings. Enjoyed big romance and brickyard as newish places on my last visit. Rascals a must of you’ve not been out yet.
Obvs covid rules not helping.plsces at the mo recommend tweeting beernut and taleofale for more recent gen and @garthicus too.

If you’re in the north aether & echo has rebranded back to stags head and has its own brewpub (bells) on premises, all beers were decent to good on a visit in Dec, heading there on Fri with unpro.

Hope to get to Dublin again sooner rather than later but likely to stick to old faves. L Mulligan, headline, brew dock etc

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Hiya Colin,

I’d be the same as @Beersiveknown, I’ve not been in Dublin in quite awhile. Based on what I’ve seen from people on social media that @Beersiveknown have mentioned, I’d go to The Brickyard, 57 The Headline, Brew Dock, Against the Grain, and the Beer Market.

Yes, pretty much the Galway Bay bars, you know what you’re going to get and there might be some interesting specials on tap.

The wrinkle here is the current restrictions, I think bars and restaurants have to be closed by 8, which would relegate the experience to day drinking.

Hope you have a great time and would love to grab a few scoops next time you’re in town

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Hi James and Steve,

Thanks for coming back to me.

Good news is it’s an afternoon visit, so unless restrictions worsened (then I’d probably postpone anyway), I should be good. I land at 12.00 and am booked to Dundalk on the 16.50 Enterprise so should have a good 3 to 3.5 hours for beers in town.

Probably not the time to do the likes of the Brickyard and Headline … just a bit out of the way and a hike from Connolly … Against the Grain also drops into this camp.

Just been looking at Untappd for recent activity … seems L Mulligan is closed at present, not sure whether Covid related or an annual break ? Website says they hope to reopen by Burns night.

I also want to pick up half a dozen or so cans, for the train and to drink at my parents.

My current thinking is therefore taxi from airport to L Mulligan, pop to drink store, maybe the Beer Market then The Beer Dock … also tempted by that brew pub (new brewery tick) near to Connolly, Urban brewing.

My eye is also drawn to Brewdog Outpost … again a new brewery tick … plus I can check their list out on Untappd first. Looks like a 20 or so minute walk to Connolly and on the same line of route to take in Urban and the Beer Dock.

I’m in town the last Thursday of February btw.

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Urban Brew sometimes has some good stuff. It’s run by Carlow but separate setup so kept separate on here. I know brewdog weren’t brewing on premises when they first opened whether that’s changed now but maybe not with covid etc?
Another option for cans is craft central or fresh supermarket in Smithfield’s. Not sure about l Mulligan being closed, think the place next to them sometimes has interesting guest beers so maybe worth a look in if going to drinkstore and Bonobo is also nearby

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Yeah, would def 2nd heading into Craft Central (“Stephen St News”) right near the top of Grafton…best can selection in town. If you do however, be sure to order online a few days in advance and pick up in the store. They have a decent selection on premises, but most of their stock is off site.

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Hi lads, long time Steve!
Not much has changed on the bar front in Dublin, Galway Bay have opened a new place The Beer Temple on the site of Thomas Reades Dame street. It is mostly GB and Bru that was on when I went there.

Most bars are open, at the moment closing time is 8 pm, by the end of Feb would be hopeful that it would be back more normal, the only ones that have remained closed are the tourist focused ones which are not the greatest loss. Spoons are continuing to open places which is a bit depressing.

57 have branched out into a beer shop too, and often have interesting stuff. L Mulligan was opening Thursday to Sunday but are taking the bulk of Jan off. If you are at Connolly Martins of Fairview is only a few minutes by taxi and has a good selection.

Enjoy

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Forgot to mention The Underdog appears to be gone as the door is boarded up there is a hand sanitiser dispenser on it

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Damn shame … I’ve enjoyed my visits there … always rocked up at opening time and sat at the bar … always good banter with the guys who work there.

I’d not considered it for this trip funny enough as seem to recall it doesn’t open till 5’ish which was no use to me.

Hope they find another venue to set up at.

Just had a quick look at UT … last check in was Dec '20 … mid to earlyish lockdown casualty it seems!

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Cheers for the further info.

Due to my time limit of approx 3 hours I’m having to look at things in blocks together for efficiency purposes so this kind of limits my bottle shop options in that it needs to be right next to a bar I’m heading to.

My plan as it stands …

Land 1200 … cab straight to L Mulligan (shouldn’t hit the heaviest of the City traffic I’d hope) Be sipping by 1300 all being well, spot of lunch and pop to Drinkstore for a few tinnies.

Cab at 1400 ish to Brewdog … there by 1420 … hour in BD then walk to Connolly taking in Urban Brewing and Brew Dock.(25/30 mins walk with 20/30 min stops).

Enterprise lifts off 1650.

Completely fills my available time with no slack and fulfills objective of somewhere good for lunch, pick up some cans and a couple of new venues both being brew pubs that I guess you really need to visit to pick off their beers.

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I emailed BD Outpost Dublin … guess they can spin a yarn but they told me that they brew their own small batch beers on site and usually have 2 or 3 on tap.

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Sounds like an afternoon. Traffic is only a fraction of what it was at the moment so you will have no bother getting to LMG.

Enjoy

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Awful news about The Underdog, truly loved that spot

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Sounds like a great afternoon Colin, hope you have a nice trip

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Change of plan to my itinerary … discovered yesterday that Mulligans doesn’t open till 1630.

Therefore going to head to P Macs on Lower St Stephens … never been but seems to have activity on UT.

I see @beerfest5 gave it an average review some time back but some out of towners have given it decent scores since.

It’s also really close to Bar Rua (again recent UT activity … which is my guiding light for Dublin at the moment) and sets me up nicely for St Stephens news … and Porterhouse Central is a block away where (again from UT) … looks like a few new rates.

I’ll then walk to Brewdog Outpost from this area and back to plan.

I guess place reviews mean little these past few years … same in London

No footfall and a lot of places have trimmed their range / number of taps and some have folded

Thats why UT tends to be my beacon at present … more so at least you know the place still exists !

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Wow, blast from the past, haven’t stepped in PMac’s in ages. Unless it’s changed, be ready for very loud music, less than friendly bar staff, but a very good selection.

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Hoping at 1300 it won’t be too noisy or busy

That said … looking at UT … There’s been 5 or 6 new Porterhouse beers on at Porterhouse Central for me this month so may well head there for lunch

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Hit most of my targets in DUB yesterday.

First flight in 29 months was … bus to aircraft (at LHR) … shitty middle seat (courtesy of BA) … screaming brat in seat behind … 45/50 min delay.

As such that lost me a venue so a fast Taxi landed me in P Macs around 1335.

Tap list was ‘ok’ … no wow … a few Euro beers … the likes of Mikkeller and Lervig … I think 6 Irish craft in total … 2 new for me from, one from Trouble and one from Lineman … so with a quick monkfish lunch, that was fine for me. Service very friendly @beerfest5 … food good … place maybe 40% full as I had anticipated for Thurs lunchtime.

Popped over the road to Craft Central … cracking bottle shop … picked up 8 or 9 offerings … had a new lambic from Lambiek Fabriek and a short life Other Half DIPA (canned October) for 8.99 … picked these up alongside 7 or so Irish ticks.

Grabbed a cab then to Brewdog Outpost, which pulled back a good chunk of my flight delay.

BD was a nice venue … two floors … the upstairs alone as big as some BD bars. Downstairs was busy, largely due to 2 work parties … each numbering a dozen or so … and another 4 or 5 tables … so not bad I guess for 1500 on a Thursday … probably 35 punters all told.

They’ve spent some serious £$£$ on that place !

2 of their own beers … a 3.6 and a 3.4 rate for me … 2 BD Berlin beers also on the list … the manager was telling me they get these a lot … EU import … we don’t tend to see these in England (from my experience). Not the most exciting list overall on the guest front but 2 new Irish ticks for me so plenty to fill my hour there.

I then hot footed it to Urban Brewing (Just under a 20 minute walk I’d say).

Better than expected I must admit … think there were 5 or 6 of their own beers … just had 10 minutes in the end to slam a tasting flight … not cheap at E14 but I got a 5th beer as one kicked 3/4 way through pouring.

Their beers much better than I expected also … was bracing myself for some shitty 2.8/2.9 affairs but they weighed in at 3.3 to 3.6’s so all told well worth the visit … quick 5 min dash to Connolly and I was sipping a few cans on the Enterprise.

All told a successful little visit and I look forward to the next.

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Great to hear that you had a good visit, and that PMac’s service is better than I recall :wink: