Introducing ‘Irish Wit’

 A Triple Malt Beer and A Triple Blend Whiskey Walk into a Bar…

We have recently collaborated with Tullamore D.E.W. to brew the limited edition ‘Irish Wit’. The beer is a take on the classic Wit style and is brewed using 50% wheat malt, flaked oats, local ale malt and fermented with Tullamore D.E.W.’s own yeast.

The collaboration was based on the idea of designing a beer specifically to pair with Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey.

Seamus O’Hara, founder and CEO of O’Hara’s Brewery commented on the collaboration,

“Usually when we think about working with an Irish whiskey it’s for our award-winning barrel-aged series but this time we’ve done something a little bit different and novel. While not as common in Ireland, the idea of pairing a beer with a whiskey is nothing new, in fact I’ve found that Tullamore D.E.W. pairs particularly well with our Irish Red Ale. When the possibility of collaborating with our good friends at Tullamore D.E.W. came up we considered the idea of a barrel aged version of our Irish Red, but then we thought why not try to create the perfect beer to pair with Tullamore D.E.W.? How could we collaborate outside of simply using Tullamore barrels? When the opportunity arose to work with the Tullamore D.E.W. yeast, we jumped at the chance, and once we decided this was the route we were going to take, it was obvious that a wit style beer would best show off the yeast and evoke some of the fruity and spicy notes typical of the whiskey, while at the same time allowing us to keep the ABV at a manageable 4%, perfect for pairing with a glass of Tullamore D.E.W.”

Kevin Pigott from Tullamore D.E.W. echoed Seamus O’Hara’s sentiments,

“Our belief is that the blending of cultures, thoughts and ideas creates a world infinitely more interesting. We were super excited to work on this collaboration with O’Hara’s to create the perfect beer that pairs with Tullamore D.E.W. and we achieved just that. The beer is appropriately titled Irish Wit as it strips away the notions of overly manicured craft beer and gets us back to basics enjoying a delicious triple malt beer, A Belgian wit style with an Irish twist where the O’Haras team have once again outdone themselves. It is a limited edition small batch where we wanted to reinvigorate the art of the boilermaker. Tully and beer are good friends and good friends always meet over a good drink.”

The Brewing Process:

Our take on the classic Wit style is brewed using 50% wheat malt, flaked oats, local ale malt and fermented with Tullamore D.E.W.’s own yeast as part of a mixed culture fermentation.

The Look:
Dark amber colour topped off with a white head. 

The Aroma:
A complex and full aroma bursting with sweet orange and zesty lemon notes.

The Flavour:
A mix of sweet and dry with strong citrus flavours of orange followed by hints of lemon, banana and grapefruit leading to a clean and refreshing mouthfeel.

The Food Pairing:

Some might like it hot, and this Irish Wit certainly does, pairing particularly well with spicy dishes, seafood, shellfish, and also offsets the clean saltiness of a Greek Salad perfectly. If you are serving the beer with a cheeseboard, it works best with goat’s cheese or feta.

O’Hara’s X Tullamore D.E.W. ‘Irish Wit’ will be available in select independent bars, off-licences and retailers.

Style: Wit Beer

ABV: 4.0%

IBUs: 15

Plato: 10°

Best served: 6-8°

Fermentation: Top Fermentation

Availability: 33cl bottle, 30L keg