Those of us that enjoy beer will always be striving to find the perfect bar to enjoy our beer in. For some people they can move to an area, find the closest pub to their house, call it their local and live happily ever after. For some of us it’s not that simple because when it comes to beer some of us are fussy gits! So what do I want from a bar? Well as a lover of craft beer I want a good beer selection. I also want good pub grub, friendly and knowledgeable bar staff, comfortable surroundings and if possible- no TV! The last bit you might find strange as I’m a huge sports fan but if I’m out on a Saturday afternoon with Her Indoors for a quiet beer or 2, the last thing I want is a guy in his Liverpool / Utd. shirt that has probably never set foot in Liverpool / Manchester shouting and roaring at a TV screen.

All the above boxes I was able to tick when I discovered Against the Grain a few years ago. The bar first opened it’s doors in September 2010 on the infamous ‘Corner of Death’ in Wexford St.,nothing sinister in the name, only that every pub that opened there died a slow death! Well safe to say that title has been well and truly banished as Against the Grain has flourished and would be recognised as one of the leading craft beer establishments in Dublin. Owned by the lads behind Galway Bay Brewery, it is one of a chain of 10 bars in the group which shows no sign of slowing down as another Dublin bar is also coming on board very soon.

Now I’ve got 3 pubs a few minutes walk from my house so what is it that makes me walk past those pubs to get a bus to ATG? It’s simple things really, the first time I was there I was greeted with a cheerful welcome and when leaving I was thanked for my custom. It was something simple but something that I found over the years lacking in so many pubs, even in my local pubs, in short your custom was taken for granted and there was no need to be polite to the customer. The staff may have changed over the years in ATG but the one constant has been that as a customer you are treated with respect, regardless if your a visitor having 1 beer or a regular, you are treated the same. Regarding the beer choice, do you remember as a child walking into a sweetshop and looking at rows of jars of sweets and wondering what to pick? Well I feel like that every time I walk into ATG, 32 draught beers, many of which are rotated on a regular basis, fridges full of bottles of craft and shelves lined with whisky from every corner of the globe.

When having a beer or 2 you tend to get a bit pickish so it’s nice to have some food that will compliment the beer. ATG took the unusual but very welcome step of asking their customers via social media what food they feel would work with craft beer. The advise was duly noted and it has to be said that the standard and choice of food is excellent and represents good value for money and compliments the beer very well indeed!

Overall if your looking for good beer, good food, friendly and knowledgeable staff then you could do a lot worse then trying Against the Grain in Wexford St.

I aim to review more craft beer bars soon and obviously these trips will be more work then pleasure as it will be all in the name of research!

Till the next time.

James