Dance in a Can, Pass if you can, and one for the Nelson fans. On the Craft Trail with Hope, Western Herd, Wide Street

Western Herd Siege Pale Ale, 5.1% ABV, 440 ml can

A drink or a dance, "The Siege" is a winner. 

In the early 60s, Ireland’s showbands provided quite a variety of music in the country’s booze-free dance halls. The big-name bands didn’t start

onstage until quite late so there was time enough for the punters (at least the older males) to tank up in the local pub, an establishment that may well also have been owned by the ballroom proprietor.

That range of music included the emerging pop music of the sixties but quite a lot of non-pop songs made their way onto the programme as well. Brendan Bowyer of the Royal could finish doing the Hucklebuck and then slow it all down with a hymn called The Holy City. Tommy Drennan of the Monarchs was another singer to slow the whole thing down, with Boulavogue in his case. But quite a few outfits would get the entire attendance out and dancing with the Siege of Ennis.

Good name for a beer, isn’t it? Certainly appreciated by my generation. Western Herd explain: “Anywhere else, Siege is a battle cry but, around here, it’s a call to dance. This modern version of the classic American pale ale has distinctive hoppy aromas of grapefruit and orange, perfectly balanced with the distinctive spiciness and bitterness of the Cascade hops.”

The colour is close to amber, almost opaque, and there’s a big head, deflating rapidly. You notice the hops (Cascade, Citra and Amarillo) straight away in the aromas, fruity and bitter, a touch of citrus also. Flavours too feature the hops though perhaps the malt gets more of a look-in here. Yet the bitterness reasserts itself on the final. The Siege is quite a characterful beer and, like the dance, is Very Highly Recommended.

They suggest the following food pairings: Sharp cheese, Thai Curry and Steak (not all together, now!).

 Hope Pass If You Can Pale Ale, 4.6%, 440 ml can O’Briens Wine

The label promises an easy-drinking malty, slightly fruity easy-experience and that’s more or less what you get from this Pale Ale.

The colour is a mid-gold, a clean one with countless bubbles rising to the foamy white head. Citrus comes through in the aromas. The first sip hints that it is quite a thirst quencher, easy-drinking and balanced between the malts and hops, and nowhere near as bitter as your normal full-blown IPA.

Highly Recommended. 

Hope hints that it is great with chicken and prawns, not together! It will play its part too with barbecue and pizzas.

Wide Street Little Nelson Saison, 3.7% ABV, 440 ml can, Bradleys

Pale gold is the colour of this sessionable beer from Longford’s Wide Street. There’s a soft white head and and aromas of slightly sour gooseberry, citrus and nettles that you may well come across in Sauvignon Blanc wines from Nelson, New Zealand, from where the hops originated. That slightly sour element continues across the palate and on to the finish.

The Nelson Sauvin variety has gained popularity in American-style Pale Ales but, according to Hoplist, “is definitely a hop that requires prudent and discerning application in brewing”. It is quite versatile in the brewing process and works well as an aroma hop, flavour hop and also for bittering and quite a few brewers love it.

If you are a Nelson fan, you may well enjoy this one but it is not my favourite Wide Street beer. Not even my favourite Wide Street Saison - the nod for that goes to their Highly Recommended House Saison.

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