What beer did St. Patrick drink? Mescan Brewery is claiming our patron saint for themselves.

What beer did St. Patrick drink?

Saint Patrick had his own brewer but what did Mescan brew for him?

The current Mescan beer takes its name from the monk Mescan who was St. Patrick’s friend and personal brewer. Mescan is mentioned in that great chronicle of medieval Irish history, The Annals of the Four Masters (also sometimes referred to as The Annals of The Kingdom of Ireland), as part of the list describing Patrick's entourage. Appropriately, the Belgian-style beer is brewed on the slopes of the holy mountain Croagh Patrick, near Westport in Co. Mayo. Today’s Mescan brewers have been musing on what kind of beer Mescan the Monk might have made for Patrick all those years ago.

 

“We think it would likely have been made with oats and barley”, says Cillian O’Móráin one of Mescan’s founders, “It’s unlikely it would have been aged at all, probably being drunk within a week or two of brewing”.

 

That lack of aging is in direct contrast to the artisan beers Mescan the brewery produces which are matured for months (sometimes years) before they reach perfection and are released for sale. Mescan produce artisan Belgian-style beers brewed in small batches with craft, care and attention to detail. Mescan beers are brewed in the Belgian style, using very traditional methods, resulting in a broad range of rich and flavourful beers eminently suited to pairing with food. They are vegan friendly and 100% natural.

 

In medieval Europe it was common for monks to make and drink beer as an aid to sustenance during periods of fasting and prayer. Perhaps Mescan's brew helped the saint during his Lenten devotions on the holy mountain.

 

The stylised Mescan logo is a simple, creative representation of the mountain and the curved swirl represents the water flowing from the holy mountain, which is used to make all the Mescan beers, via a spring well beside the brewery. The ‘Lovers Warning’ on every bottle reads ‘Our beer adds to the desire but may detract from the performance’.

 

Mescan Beers are currently available in off licences around the country. They are also available directly through the website www.mescanbrewery.com.

press release