Tastemakers: Irish Stew - Beamish vs Murphy

March 15, 2006

Irish Stew
There are three (okay, four if you include Irish soda bread) simple culinary requirements during the “High Holy Days”: stout, corned beef and Irish stew. Known as ballymaloe or stobhach gaelach when spoken in the native Gaelic, Irish stew is traditionally made with mutton (sheep over two years of age that tend not to be tender), potatoes, onions and parsley. When it was available, lamb was preferred to mutton and some Irish grandmothers were known to throw carrots, barley and turnips into the pot.
When the Potato Famine hit in 1845 many Irish began immigrating to the U.S. bringing with them their culinary traditions. Since sheep were not often readily available in some parts of the U.S. other meats were often substituted, primarily beef and buffalo.
Irish stew recipes have evolved and taken on many adaptations here in the States, a particular favorite is throwing in some Guinness into the stock. But one secret actually came from Italy – when making the stock use equal parts of Guinness and a good red wine (a Bordeaux or Cotes du Rhone). The flavor profiles of both when married together in the pot impart hints of chocolate, berries, spice and smoky flavors into the stew. Serve the stew in a fresh bread bowl. Another delightful recipe is substituting the stout/wine with Irish whiskey and lamb with corned beef.
Regardless how you prepare your Irish stew it pairs well with stout or Irish whiskey, but don’t overlook a good Cotes du Rhone. Probably the only thing it doesn’t pair well with is green beer, but does anything go with green beer? Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day weekend and let this time of the year serve as an opportunity to explore the wonderful culinary traditions given to us by the Irish.

 
Beamish vs. Murphy’s (Irelands Other Stouts)

 St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and that means we are all Irish. In keeping with American tradition (the Irish don’t quite celebrate it the way we do), it is time to ask the barkeep to pull a nice draught of stout.
When it comes to stout Guinness is king. It is the benchmark and inspiration for all other stouts. Guinness loyalists would debate whether there is such a thing as “other stouts.” Many American microbreweries and brewpubs have been making delightful stouts in recent years, including Jack Archibald at the Traverse Brewing Company. But there are also other stouts in Ireland.
So exactly who is next in line if Guinness were ever to abdicate its throne? It depends if you are Catholic or Protestant.  Protestants have preferred Beamish Irish Stout for years while Catholics leaned towards Murphy’s Irish Stout. Both are brewed in Cork (Guinness is from Dublin). Beamish has hints of coffee, spice and bitter chocolate while Murphy’s heavy roasted characteristics have a more distinct showing of bitter chocolate and espresso flavors.  Both come in cans with that nitrogen widget so they pour and taste as close to being pulled from the tap as possible.  Both stouts are creamy and pair perfectly with traditional Irish fare such as corned beef or stew. 
In America we tend to prefer ice-cold beer but to best enjoy any stout let it come up to cellar temperature (about 45 degrees).
So which one is Ireland’s “second best” stout? Since I am Catholic my choice might be biased, so have fun finding out for yourself. If you are hosting a St. Patty’s Day party consider having a taste test with your friends. Include Guinness and see which of the three is the favorite. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.