Beoir welcomes the news today that the Labour party are to introduce a Bill aimed at boosting craft-beer tourism in Ireland by removing the major regulatory barrier for breweries, microbreweries, cider makers and distilleries.

The Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016 would allow these businesses to sell their own produce to tourists and other visitors on site. Currently, a brewery manufacturer’s licence only allows them to see in excess of about 19 litres which is too much for the average consumer.

Beoir has been campaigning for this measure for a number of years, most recently in our pre-budget submission. This will open up a new level of consumer choice and really help our tourism sector. Brewery and distillery tourism is on the rise all around the world and we see especially potential for tourism in the cider producer sector. This will be a great boost to rural Ireland which is where most cider producers are located.

We are happy to work with breweries, cider producers, and government if we can help in any way from a consumer standpoint. 

English beer writer Pete Brown is probably better known for his matey-blokey beer history and travel books, like Hops & Glory (the definitive story of IPA) and Shakespeare's Local (a history of one not-so-well-known London pub). His latest is a rather different format, however. The Pub, subtitled "A Cultural Institution - from Country Inns to Craft Beer Bars and Corner Locals", is a glossy, lavishly illustrated, coffee-table job, highlighting 50 different pubs around the UK.

It's more than a work of pub pornography, however. The book also has a practical remit, documenting an additional 250 pubs to the ones featured, so despite a total lack of portability it also has a very useful reference function. If you're going to a specific part of the UK and looking for particularly pretty or otherwise noteworthy pubs to visit, this book is of real help. The pubs are set out region by region with a couple of exceptional examples given a double-page spread of photographs and Pete's personal account of the place. These highlights are interspersed with single-paragraph descriptions of other pubs in the region, all with details of facilities available, address and contact details.

The Irish Craft Beer Festival is back this September and is bigger than ever with over 50 brewers, cideries and distillers. 

As usual, Beoir members receive a 50% entry discount at the door with a valid, in date membership card. If you want to try and win tickets to the event, keep an eye on the social media. The Beoir Twitter and Beoir Facebook accounts will have a competition each weekend for a pair of tickets. That's a chance to win on both Facebook and Twitter so keep an eye out on Friday to Sunday for details with the winner on each platform announced on Monday. We will run the competition this weekend and next weekend. 

If you wish to volunteer, check the Beoir Member forum for details.

Tickets are available here for non Beoir members. Beoir members wanting to avail of the discount, do so at the door.