LOCALS and visitors will have a golden opportunity to treat themselves to a selection of heavenly brews at the inaugural Killarney Beer Festival which will run from June 5-7.

The best of Irish craft brewers will descend on the town and bring with them kegs of crafty beer to set taste buds tingling.

In association with Beoir and the INEC Killarney, the bumper weekend will include beer tasting master classes, awards, competitions, a food village and live entertainment.

Over the last eight years, the number of small independent breweries on the island of Ireland has jumped from five to 65 and there are even more breweries in the planning.

So those who enjoy a brew have been urged to don their beer goggles and prepare to be converted when they listen to the passion of well over 20 brewers as they thrill with stories of hops and barley, guaranteed to increase an appreciation of this heavenly craft.

This unique partnership with Beoir includes a new awards programme that will be launched during the festival with several categories, including pale ale, dark ale, wheat beer, porter and stout, sour beer and a Beoir Champion Beer of Ireland.

The festival will include top quality live entertainment from Picture House, Jerry Fish and The Swing Cats.

As a nation we are now starting to appreciate beer as more than just something to knock back in the pub. There has been an explosion of new breweries in Ireland over the past year, providing greater choice and better quality beer and cider.

Beoir Chairman, Reuben Gray, remarked: “Consumers in Ireland have been waking up to new and exciting flavours for the last 30 years. There are hundreds of beer styles and each is different, the different hops and malts as well as other possible ingredients allow beer to be incredibly versatile.”

Many of the exciting beer styles will be available at the INEC. Beerology isn’t a profession but why not earn your degree in Killarney and become a craft beer connoisseur at this ultimate beer tasting extravaganza?

Breweries attending will include 8 Degrees Brewing, Munster Brewing, Bo Bristle Brewing, St Mel’s Brewing, Killarney Brewing, Torc Brewing, West Kerry Brewing, Blackdonkey Brewing, Rye River Brewing, Dungarvan Brewing, Franciscan Well Brewing, CottonBall Brewing, Mountain Man Brewing, Dingle Brewing, Blacks of Kinsale Brewery, Jack Doyle’s Brewery, 9Whitedeer Brewing, Gnéas Teo Brewing, Tempted Cider, JJ Craft Brewing and O Brother Brewing.

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