Boyne Brewhouse Long Arm Dortmunder Export - Beer of the Month

KRISTIN JENSEN, co-author of Slainte! The complete Guide To Irish Craft Beers and Ciders - introduces us to Boyne Brewhouse Long Arm Dortmunder Export

ABOUT THE BREWER

The Boyne Brewhouse is a new state-of-the-art, family-owned craft brewery located on the outskirts of Drogheda, just off the M1 motorway. Their debut range of bottled craft beers includes Born in a Day Australian Pale Ale, Long Arm Dortmunder Export and Pagan’s Pillar Sparkling Copper Ale, with seasonal and specialty beers to follow.

The Boyne Brewhouse craft brewery is part of the Boann Distillery and Visitor Centre, an ambitious project and Ireland’s only combined distillery and brewery that will produce craft whiskey and gin as well as beer.

Head brewer and Galway native Áine O’Hora graduated from Heriot Watt, the prestigious UK brewing college, then honed her craft for seven years as a brewer with Matilda Bay (CUB), Australia’s most awarded craft brewery. This experience has paid off, with the Boyne Brewhouse beers already winning awards.

The Boann Distillery and Boyne Brewhouse are the realisation of a long-held ambition of the Cooney family, who have a long tradition in the Irish drinks industry. Pat Cooney built the Gleeson Group to be a major player in the Irish manufacturing and wholesale drinks business over the last 40 years. Pat is a native of Drogheda, so the establishment of a new industry in his hometown is a homecoming for him. Pat, his wife Marie and four of their children are all actively involved in running the business.

ABOUT THE BEER

In the summer, sales of stout plummet and lighter beers like lager and pilsner come into their own. This Dortmunder Export pilsner is one such beer, a German style of beer that is also known as the ‘labourer’s pilsner’.

It has many of the classic hallmarks of a traditional pilsner: a softly sparkling lemon yellow colour and a bright white cap of bubbles (though the head isn’t as creamy and pillowy as other pilsners) and is crisp and dry, with lots of bready, yeasty notes from the malt backbone and plenty of hop bite from the Saaz hops.

There’s the barest hint of lime in the aroma and the flavour is well balanced between the malt and hops, meaning it’s just as nice to drink on its own as it would be alongside food. And at 4.8% ABV, it’s a good sessionable choice for your next BBQ or summer get-together.

As for the name, it comes from the stomping grounds where the brewery is located, in the historic Boyne Valley, home of Cúchulainn. The brewer says, ‘Folklore tells that “Lugh of the Long Arm” was the spiritual father of Cúchulainn as well as an infamous spearsman and battle warrior.’

A pilsner is an intuitive match to summer foods such as salads, seafood and other lighter foods like chicken that won’t overpower the beer. It also pairs particularly well with Asian, Thai and Indian food as well as spicy food.The brewer says it matches perfectly with prawns and crab or a spicy curry.

Or check out the Boyne Brewhouse website for a few recipes that match particularly well with the beer, provided by the nearby Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill.

When it comes to cheese, it’s much the same as food matching – this beer will be nicely matched with a mild, fresh cheese like Ardsallagh Goat Cheese or Toonsbridge Mozzarella.

--

Kristin Jensen is a freelance editor specialising in cookery and food books and has worked with many of Ireland's top food writers and chefs. She writes the Edible Ireland blog and is a co-founder of the Irish Food Bloggers Association and, together with Caroline Hennessy, is joint author of Slainte! The complete Guide To Irish Craft Beers and Ciders .