Smithwick's

Smithwick's logo
Type	Irish red ale
Manufacturer	St. Francis Abbey Brewery, Kilkenny, Ireland
Alcohol by volume	3.8% (Ireland), 5% (North America)[1]

Smithwick's (pronounced /ˈsmɪθɨks/ or /ˈsmɪtɨks/, not like the town of Smethwick /ˈsmɛðɨk/) is an Irish red ale style beer from Kilkenny in Ireland. Smithwick’s was originally brewed in St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny, known as 'Smithwicks Brewery' until c.2000. The brewery is situated on the site of a Franciscan abbey where monks had brewed ale since the 14th century, and has ruins of the original abbey on its grounds. It is Ireland’s oldest operating brewery, founded by John Smithwick in 1710 on land owned by the Duke of Ormonde.^[2] It is the major ale producer in Ireland. It was purchased from Irish Ale Breweries in 1965 by Guinness and is now, along with Guinness, part of Diageo. Smithwick’s for the domestic market is brewed in Kilkenny and the higher strength export variety is brewed in Dundalk. Smithwick's is listed in the top five best tasting beers by the McHale beer rating club of Ireland.

[edit] Regional Pronunciation

Due to the differing accent and dialects of Ireland, it is generally pronounced /ˈsmɪθ.ɪks/ /ˈsmɪt.ɪks/ /ˈsmɪdɪks/ or /ˈsmɛθ.ɪks/ there. When ordering in the USA, /ˈsmɪθ.ɪks/ or /ˈsmɪdɪks/ is preferred, while /ˈsmɪdɪks/ is the most prevalent pronunciation in Canada.

[edit] Variations

Smithwick's ale billboard in New York

• Smithwick's Draught has a ruby red tone with a stable, but slightly thin head. It is produced using hops and special roasted, malted barley. Its texture is smooth and refined, with a bitter and complex finish. Although of lesser fame than Guinness, Smithwicks is often regarded as the 'local favourite' amongst Irish pubgoers. In 2004, Diageo PLC began distribution in the USA. Smithwick's had previously been marketed in Canada with great success.
• Kilkenny Cream Ale is similar to Smithwick's Draught; however, it has a cream head similar to Guinness, and it has a stronger taste (more bitter than Smithwicks).^{[citation needed]} The 'Kilkenny' name was originally used during the '80's and '90's to market a stronger version of Smithwick's for the European and Canadian market due to difficulty in pronunciation of the word Smithwicks; but it now refers to a similar yet distinctly different beer.
• Smithwick’s ale has been awarded six gold medals in the Monde Selection Beer Tasting Competition^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Irish beer