Clever Man Ejector Seat Turf Smoked Stout - Beer of the Month

KRISTIN JENSEN, co-author of Slainte! The complete Guide To Irish Craft Beers and Ciders - introduces us to Clever Man Ejector Seat Turf Smoked Stout

ABOUT THE BREWER

Founded by Malcolm and Andrea Molloy, Drew Fox Brewing is Wexford’s newest Irish craft brewery. Malcolm, a Dublin native, lived in the US for many years and met his Texan wife Andrea in Chicago. Malcolm and Andrea own a pub in Chicago called The Grafton Pub & Grill, so it’s not surprising that when they moved back to Ireland in 2010, the burgeoning craft beer industry here piqued their interest.

The beers are sold under the name Clever Man, after ‘four clever Irish men and their inventions’. The range currently includes the Atractor kolsch-style beer, 12 Ft Under Amber Ale, Little Willie Tank American Pale Ale and Ejector Seat Turf Smoked Stout. They are also hoping to offer brewery tours in the future.

ABOUT THE BEER

Beer style: Stout
ABV: 4.5%
Matches well with: Beef, berries, black pudding, burgers, chocolate, roasted and smoked meats, steak, stew

This beer captures the quintessential Irish fireside in ‘a rich stout uniquely infused with the scent of a traditional turf fire’, so if you’re looking for a taste of Ireland, this is it.

In keeping with their theme of naming their beers after ‘clever Irish men and their inventions’, this beer is named after Sir James Martin, a Northern Irish engineer who co-founded the Martin-Baker Aircraft Co., which developed the first ejector seat for the US Air Force.

The turf smoke is quite prevalent in the aroma as well as on the palate, but it’s nicely balanced with vanilla and coffee and a tangy, dry finish. It’s light-bodied and has an ABV of only 4.5%, so it’s an easy-drinking stout despite those big smoky flavours.

Even though it has a sessionably low ABV, this probably isn’t the kind of beer you want to drink on its own. It would play well with robust food; anything light would get overpowered.

Burgers, steak, a beef stew or even a dark chocolate dessert would all be good matches, and anything charred or grilled would pick up on the turf in the beer. As for cheese, you’ll need something strong to hold its own against beer, so go for a bold match like a blue cheese or the most mature hard cheese you can get your hands on.

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Secretary of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, 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 .