Introduction
St. Patrick’s Day often finds beer drinkers reaching for Ireland’s iconic beer, the Dry Irish Stout. The most common brand available is the iconic Guinness. Americans consume an average of 950,000 pints of Guinness a day (Statisa, 2024). On St. Patrick’s Day, this number surges to 13 million pints consumed (Business Insider, 2020). While Americans enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day pint (or four) of Guinness, another iconic and even older Irish beer style is often overlooked.
A pint of Irish Red Ale in a traditional nonic pint glass.
Alex Thompson, ©2025, Clemson Extension
Irish Red Ale is a mild, malt-forward beer style. Low in alcohol (4-6%) but high in flavor and aroma. Drinkers of Irish Red Ale should expect aromas of malt and caramel sweetness alongside flavors of toffee, buttered toast, and roasted grain. Low hop flavor and aroma, alongside low alcohol, make Irish Red Ale an approachable and easy-drinking beer for the St. Patrick’s Day season.
Origins of Irish Red Ale
Irish Red Ale has a muddy and unclear history. No historian or brewer is 100% sure of the exact origins of the style. Was it brewed by monks, Vikings, or Celtic tribe members? No one can say for certain. The oldest written reference to “red ale” dates to an Irish poem written somewhere within the 8th or 9th century AD. In 1856, Professor of Irish History and Archaeology Eugene O’Curry of the Catholic University of Ireland gave a lecture on manuscripts predating the time of St. Patrick. In this lecture, he referred to a manuscript titled “On the Original and Ancient Account of the Baile an Scáil”. A passage of the poem states, “royal court, into which they entered, and found it occupied by a beautiful and richly dressed princess with a silver vat full of red ale, and a golden ladle and golden cup before her.” This passage refers to the characters of the poem visiting the Cruinthe tribe of people, located in the area known as Durind (modern-day Kerry, Ireland). While this ancient red ale was almost certainly very different from modern Irish Red Ale, it showcases a longstanding tradition of brewing red colored ales in the Emerald Isle.
Modern Irish Red Ale
Modern Irish Red Ale’s origins can be more easily traced specifically to the founding of the Smithwick’s Brewery in 1710 by John Smithwick on the ruins of the former St. Francis Abbey (which was a monastic brewery throughout the Middle Ages). Smithwick decided to craft a red-colored ale focused on malt flavor and low hop aroma using roasted barley (also common in Dry Irish Stouts like Guinness). The use of roasted barley was most likely decided by several factors. One, roasted barley, when used in low amounts, 1% or less of the total grain bill, contributes a red color as opposed to black. In fact, a pint of Guinness can appear to have a more reddish/mahogany hue when held up to intense light. Second, roasted barley is un-malted and subject to a much lower excise tax at the time in Ireland, saving the brewery on overhead costs. Lastly, the flavors created by using roasted barley are still the dominant preferred taste with Irish beer drinkers who choose traditional Irish styles of beer.
Irish Red Ales are still produced by the Smithwicks Brewery and other breweries across Ireland. Many American craft brewed versions are also available across the United States. One exception is the readily available Killian’s Irish Red. One notable word missing from the name is the word “ale”. This is because Killian’s Irish Red is, in fact, a lager (beer made using lager yeast as opposed to ale yeast) produced under license by MillerCoors in the United States. While it is a well made and popular beer, Killian’s Irish Red is not a true Irish Red ALE.
This St. Patrick’s Day, reach for an Irish Red Ale and enjoy another classic Irish beer style. If you so desire, taste an Irish Red Ale alongside a Dry Irish Stout and note the similar roasted flavors you encounter. This is due to their shared use of unmalted, roasted barley. Use this opportunity to enjoy the rich and flavorful traditions of Irish brewing, but always remember to enjoy these festive pints responsibly. Sláinte!
BJCP Style Guidelines for Irish Red Ale
Below are the Beer Judging Certification Panel (BJCP) Guidelines for Irish Red Ale:
BJCP 15A. Irish Red Ale
IBU: 18 – 28
SRM: 9 – 14
OG: 1.036 – 1.046
FG: 1.010 – 1.014
ABV: 3.8% – 5%
Overall Impression
An easy-drinking pint, often with subtle flavors. Slightly malty in the balance, sometimes with an initial soft toffee/caramel sweetness, a slightly grainy-biscuity palate, and a touch of roasted dryness in the finish. Some versions can emphasize the caramel and sweetness more, while others will favor the grainy palate and roasted dryness.
Appearance
Medium amber to medium reddish-copper color. Clear. Low off-white to tan colored head, average persistence.
Aroma
Low to moderate malt aroma, either neutral-grainy or with a lightly caramelly-toasty-toffee character. May have a very light buttery character (although this is not required). Hop aroma is low earthy or floral to none (usually not present). Quite clean.
Flavor
Moderate to very little caramel malt flavor and sweetness, rarely with a light buttered toast or toffee-like quality. The palate often is fairly neutral and grainy or can take on a lightly toasty or biscuity note as it finishes with a light taste of roasted grain, which lends a characteristic dryness to the finish. A light earthy or floral hop flavor is optional. Medium to medium-low hop bitterness. Medium-dry to dry finish. Clean and smooth. Little to no esters. The balance tends to be slightly towards the malt, although light use of roasted grains may increase the perception of bitterness slightly.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light to medium body, although examples containing low levels of diacetyl may have a slightly slick mouthfeel (not required). Moderate carbonation. Smooth. Moderately attenuated.
Comments
Several variations exist within the style, which causes the guidelines to be somewhat broad to accommodate them. Traditional Irish examples are relatively low in hops, grainy with a slight roast dryness in the finish, and fairly neutral in general. Modern export Irish examples are more caramelly and sweet and might have more esters. American craft versions are often more alcoholic versions of the Irish export examples. An emerging Irish craft beer scene is exploring more bitter versions of traditional examples. Finally, there are some commercial examples that sound Irish but are essentially International Amber Lagers, with sweetish palates and little bitterness. These guidelines are written around the traditional Irish examples, with slight extensions for export Irish versions and modern craft Irish versions.
