Smithwick's

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Smithwick's
Smithwick's logo
Brewery	St. Francis Abbey Brewery, Kilkenny, Ireland
Style	Irish red ale
First brewed	1710
Alc. vol.	3.8%

Smithwick's (pronounced 'smit-icks') 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.^[1] 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 is now brewed in Dundalk as well as in Kilkenny.

From the early '60s until the mid '80s, Smithwick's was the second most popular beer in Ireland after Guinness and continues to be Ireland's largest selling brand that isn't a stout.^{[citation needed]}

1 Pronouncing the Name
2 Variations
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Pronouncing the Name

When pronouncing the name, the 'W' is silent. In Ireland, it is generally pronounced as 'Smithicks', 'Smitticks', 'Smidicks' or 'Smeth-icks'. The variation of pronunciations is mostly due to differing accent and dialects of the Irish. When ordering in the US, 'Smithicks' is the preferred method, while 'Smiddicks' 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.
Smithwick's Barley Wine is now brewed by Macardle Moore Brewery another Guinness-owned brewery.
Kilkenny Cream Ale is a similar beer to Smithwick's Draught, however it has a cream head similar to Guinness and has a stronger taste (more bitter than Smithwicks). 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 over five gold medals in the Monde Selection Beer Tasting Competition^[2]