Let’s talk about Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co.…

Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co. is home to Ireland’s largest independently owned and co-located brewery, distillery, and visitor centre. They have been producing great tasting quality beers since 2015 at their original micro-brewery on Muckross Road and recently launched the next chapter of their journey with a custom built campus just outside Killarney. We caught up with the team to get an inside scoop on what they are up to…

Give us an idea of the operation

Beautifully located on the picturesque Ring of Kerry on The Wild Atlantic Way and overlooking The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and famous Lakes of Killarney, the new campus is 62,000 sq ft. The building structure and interiors are the product of master crafts men and women, architecturally designed to capture the timeless beauty of Killarney from every angle both indoor and outdoor. Visitors can see our brewers and distillers hard at work, enjoy dinner watching the night fall on Ireland’s highest peaks or sip a cocktail taking in the tranquillity of the Lakes of Killarney. Brewing in Ireland is a very vibrant place at the moment, is there pressure associated with that?

Part of our team culture, is an unyielding commitment to excellence in everything we do. Consumers have become very sophisticated in their tastes and standard of quality and service. Each team member strives to meet this with our award-winning beers, premium spirits, delicious food, cocktails and warm friendly service.

Is there any automation in your brewhouse setup or are there a lot of manual tasks involved?

The brewhouse in our new campus allows for some automation that we did not have in Muckross Road. This results in more consistency in taste while also allowing our brewers to be more efficient and work in a safer environment. Our lean team of brewers are experts in this field and carry out their craft with mindful eyes to ensure every batch is of the same top quality. With skilled watchmen, this new equipment allows Killarney to produce four times the capacity of Muckross Road micro-brewery. We are striving to keep up with the new global demand for our Killarney beers. Killarney Brewing has turned their birthplace into an innovation hub exploring new flavours and varietals. Our brewers are beyond excited! Check out our Instagram page for exclusive small batch seasonal brews.

Have you ever had a bad batch? If so, how long did it take you to figure out what caused it and is this just all part of the process?

At Killarney, we are always on a journey of adventure, making bold choices and experimenting to deliver great tasting products. Be it new developments in hops that have exciting flavours or our locally grown Rowan berries used in our gin or the fanciful cocktails served at The Long Bar in Fossa, no such thing as a bad batch here, only some better than others! We are also constantly carrying out quality control checks checking batches and tasting them in our lab on site to ensure only perfection lands with our customers. Can you give a hint if anything new might be coming from Killarney Brewing Company in the near future?

Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co. has always something new coming! Our passion is innovation, our uniqueness is our Master Brewer and Master Distiller working together to create something interesting for consumers to enjoy. We take inspiration from the monks who compiled The Annals of Innisfallen, capturing the story of progress through time and history in Ireland. Our collective belief is that life tastes better when lived a little bolder. We are about to launch our third edition in our 1092 Taproom series, a fine example of Killarney beer and whiskey in a limited release gift box pairing.

Describe the weirdest ingredient you have ever put in a full production beer. We love to explore and leverage local ingredients. Our first spirit to market is Killarney Heather Honey Gin. The honey is sourced from local beekeeper Toddy Clifford. Located just out the road from our new campus, Toddy nurtures his bees, who feed off the wild purple heather and make delicious honey. It makes for a great cocktail, especially our signature Negroni in the Long Bar in our new Visitor Centre. Our core gin is going through final development with many locally sourced botanicals in the recipe.

If you had to pick a favourite beer from Killarney Brewing Company and offer it to a stranger, which one would it be and why?

Emmm tough call as there are many! Kerr, our Master Distiller shouts a Killarney Blonde, full of flavour, very refreshing and great on its own or enjoyed with food. Mike, our Master Brewer shouts Killarney Full Circle, an IPA, not only because it’s one of his favourite styles of beer but also because it represents part of his life’s and brand’s story of moving back to Co. Kerry.

Why should visitors come and check out the brewery and what can they expect?

Friendly fun experience from the minute you walk in the door. The building is beautifully designed to capture a view from every angle both indoor and outdoor.

A warm welcome always awaits at Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co. not to mention our Whiskey, Beers and Gin.

KHAO Restaurant

Khao is authentic Asian cuisine that suits all palates.

Only wholesome, organic and fresh produce is used in our signature dishes which take inspiration from many areas of Asian cuisine. Customer favourites include the Pad Thai, Bang Bang Chicken, Tofu Stir-fry and Red Duck Curry. Khao sides such as Chilli Wings, Thai Calamari and Pardan Chicken are also popular dishes.