As today is St Patrick's Day, we'll all be celebrating everything Emerald Isle, and what better way to say cheers to Ireland than by indulging in an Irish brew?
The best Irish beers can, of course, be enjoyed all year round, and include everything from big-business stout (yep, we're looking at you Guinness), to craft-brewed lagers and IPAs.
There's a boundary-breaking brewery movement happening in Ireland, with more clever and tasty craft beers emerging than ever before.
So, whether you embrace the dark side with a full-bodied stout or enjoy a crisp, refreshing IPA, raise a glass to these top Irish beers. You'll be hopping mad not to…
Best Irish beers
1. Guinness Original
The OG of Irish stout, Guinness Original is based on a beer first brewed in 1821 - and has surely been sipped by every pub-goer since.
The recognisable rich roasted barley taste is hoppy and crisp with a bittersweet finish.
It's still brewed at the St James' Gate brewery in Dublin, where you can now visit for the full Guinness experience. A true Irish beer loved across the globe.
Price: £20.40 for 12, Amazon - buy here now
2. Rascals happy days session pale ale, 4.1%
This crisp and citrusy IPA couldn't be more different to that famous Irish stout we all know and love.
The delicious and fun hop combination of Vic Secret, Citra, Cascade, Mosaic and Hull Melon creates a fresh, tropical taste. Expect mango, passion fruit, orange, and melon backed up with caramel malt. Perfect for post-work drinks with friends to wash down pizza, or for picnics in the park come summer.
Price: £3.49, Beer52 - buy here now
3. The White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA, 4.2%
Want something easy-to-drink, light and tasty? You've come to the right place.
With notes of pineapple, lemon peel and light biscuit malts, this IPA offers a balanced, bitter character with citrus flavours throughout.
It's a crowd-pleasing craft beer that's perfect for drinks with friends.
Price: £16.74 for 6, Beer Hawk - buy here now
4. Whitewater Brewery Clotworthy Dobbin, 5%
Whitewater Brewery is tucked away in the heart of Ireland's famous Mountains of Morne and handcrafts beers with natural ingredients. It uses water from the mountains and yeast from the Old Belfast Brewery.
This russet-coloured ale is a rich beer with lashings of hoppiness and plenty of fruit and toffee on the palate.
Price: £3.41, KWM Wine - buy here now
5. Porterhouse oyster stout, 5.2%
Brewed with fresh oyster (hence the name), this is a smooth, aromatic stout with a full-bodied roast malt character.
The Porterhouse Brewing Co is a craft brewer with an eco conscience, and was founded in 1996 by cousins Oliver Hughes and Liam Lahart, known as Ireland's pioneers of craft beer.
Unsurprisingly, this stout goes rather nicely with a bit of seafood (and is not suitable for vegetarians).
Price: £2.49, BeerHawk - buy here now
6. Galway Bay Of Foam and Fury DIPA, 8.5%
With a higher ABV, this IPA is not one for chugging (but is actually very drinkable), but rather to enjoy the big-hitting flavour.
Whopping great tropical flavours burst through - think grapefruit zest, orange, mango and malts - and the bittersweet balance makes for a top-tasting tipple.
Price: £4.99, Honest Brew - buy here now
7. Mourne Mountains Brewery Mourne Mist Pilsner, 4.5%
This classic Bohemian hop variety, Saaz, has a floral aroma and an earthy bitterness as well as a biscuity barley malt.
The Mourne Mountains Brewery in Northern Ireland uses top-quality brewing water from the Spelga Dam, and this refreshing honey-hued pilsner is a very quaffable, crisp drink as a result.
Price: £2.40, KWM Wines - buy here now
8. Kinnegar Brewing Big Bunny East Coast, 6%
A forward-thinking, contemporary company, Kinnegar pairs brewing tradition with a sense of adventure to create clean and crisp farmhouse beers - bursting with flavour.
Named after the nearby Kinnegar Beach in County Donegal, the hilly fields and farms are the perfect place to make beer. There's no filtering or pasteurising with this brewery, it's just natural fermentation. Cheers!
