ADVENTures in Craft Part 2 - Craftvent Calendar 2015

Heres my version of a Craft Beer Calendar - Craftvent is launched!

For the best part of the last month, I've my scurrying to and fro from Off Licences, On-line Research, Word of Mouth, sure I even visited a brewery!

Well I'm pretty much wrecked! Was it worth it? I think so, but the readers can be the judge!

The FPO has been working tirelessly in the background, I wished for My Dream Advent Beer Calendar (above) but her access to a proper work bench was off limits.

But now the biggest question of all, one that has caused wars, family disputes and people to be unfriended on Social Meeja! Do Advent Calendars have 24 or 25 days?

For the needs of scientific research and no other influencing matter, I shall stake my hoppy claim at 25 Days! It what Albert & Oscar would have wanted. I'm sure you'll agree.

The rules I set myself for this project were:

• 25 Days 
• 25 Beers
• 1 Per brewery
• No repeat Brewery's 

Choices made based on:

• Previous Experience
• Lack of Previous Experience
• Recommendations
• Labeling
• Random
• Banter (#irishbeerchat)
• Seasonal

I've managed to hit all provinces on the island and to me anyways it's an eclectic mix of beers, I don't expect anyone to agree in full, but I do hope its a talking point over the next while.  

Each of the days from December 1st - December 25th I'll post each beer under #craftvent on my twitter feed some will be reviewed at the time, others for later. 

A few points to note upon my travels and it clearly affected my choices, I'm based in Dublin:

• The huge amount of choice in Dublin from all over the country
• The huge amount of the SAME choice in Dublin from all over the country - disappointing
• You really have to go digging to find something out of the ordinary
• The price differences in some "shops" to other "shops" is remarkable, I wonder do the producers know? Do they care?
• The price mark up in some pubs is at Celtic Tiger levels (certain can in certain shop €3, same can in certain Dublin based "craft pub" - €6.95)
• Always listen to a person who clearly knows what their talking about.
• Craft beer snobbery exists if you let it! 
• Draft taste and bottled taste of same beers, at times is completely different.
• The lack of Irish Craft Cans is disappointing.
• Any brewers I've met are very interesting and very proud of their product(s)

I would like to thank the following in particular for their advice, assistance etc....although it should be noted that "SOME" merely had the beer in stock and queries asked about the beers were met with a blank stare!

• The FPO 
• Liquid Curiosity
• Martins Off Licence
• Bens Beer Org
• John Coote
• All those on #irishbeerchat
• Mr & Mrs Beer Snob
• Drinkstore
• Milty
• Pinterest
• My bank account
• Carlos Jimenez
• McHughs
• O'Briens
• Dub Beer Girl
• Molloys

To anyone who I left out, my apologies. You can buy me a beer anyways!

So folks, here it is, my own version of 25 Irish Crafts Beers in all its glory! I give you CRAFTvent!

In random order of dates to appear

• The White Hag (Sligo)
• Cleverman (Wexford)
• Bo Bristle (Offaly)
• WILDCARD
• Four Provinces (Dublin)
• 5 Lamps Brewing (Dublin)
• Galway Bay (Galway)
• 9 WhiteDeer (Cork)
• Brehon Brewhouse (Monaghan)
• Dungarvan (Waterford)
• Metalman (Waterford)
• O'Brother (Wicklow)
• Reel Deel Brewery (Mayo)
• Kinnegar (Donegal)
• WILDCARD
• 8 Degrees (Cork)
• Brown Paper Bag (Dublin)
• Brú (Meath)
• Mountain Man (Cork)
• Radik Ale (Cork)
• Northbound (Derry)
• St. Mels (Longford)
• Jack Coadys (Louth)
• Hilden (Antrim/Down)
• Hope Brewery (Dublin)

So there you have it, no, its not a box, its NOT exactly light (bolted to the wall!) but myself and herself had a bitta laugh making it, maybe its the start of my fortune...then again maybe not.

Any questions or comments, fire away and thanks for reading!

Slainte agus Nollaig shona dhaoibh!

@davyod