If Guinness Intimidates You, This Replacement Stout Can Quell Your Fear (And Thirst)

These days, craft beer enthusiasts are a dime a dozen thanks to the proliferation and accessibility of brew pubs and taprooms. As such, lots of folks have dipped their toes in the waters of darker, top-fermented beers like porters and stouts. Among the longest-standing and best-known stouts available worldwide is Guinness, which is usually a big grab for seasonal stout drinkers (think holidays like St. Paddy's Day), or those who are trying darker, more robust ales for the first time. If you are among the seasonal stout drinkers who find Guinness to be a bit too much on the robust side, there are Irish stouts beyond Guinness to drink on St. Patrick's Day, or on a night out at your local Irish pub. Murphy's, a very capable, less intimidating stout that hails from Cork, Ireland, is an excellent alternative.

Murphy's Stout was founded in 1856 by the Murphy family, and by 1900 it was a worthy competitor to Guinness. First exported to the U.S. in 1979, Murphy's caught the attention of porter and stout lovers seeking a sipping stout with a dry profile and roasted barley flavor. Murphy's hits all the notes of espresso, chocolate, and malt flavors that Guinness does, but with a sweeter flavor and creamier feel than Guinness. Murphy's pours dark like a Guinness, but by all accounts has somewhat less body (with a lower alcohol by volume content at 4%) and, more importantly for ale drinkers who prefer an easier finish, it's less bitter. 

"Down the pub" in Ireland doesn't only mean bellying up to the bar to drink. Classic Irish pub food is comfort food, and pairing stouts with savory meals is as common as incorporating stout into hearty dishes. The easy-to-remember rule to pairing stout beer with food is to rely on the robust, roasted flavors that are key characteristics of stout. Murphy's is an excellent beverage to pair with aged cheese (manchego, gouda, or gruyere — the nuttier the better), salty foods like oysters, or salty bar fare such as French fries or BBQ pulled pork nachos. Because of its slightly sweeter balance as a stout, try pairing a Murphy's with fruit for a complementary taste that also highlights sweet and savory together. 

Take advantage of the rich, roasted notes of coffee and chocolate in Murphy's stout by pairing it with some of your favorite chocolate desserts. Chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mousse, or this triple chocolate sponge cake recipe, served alongside a Murphy's stout, would make dessert an affair unto itself. Traditional Irish dishes that call for a nip or two of alcohol include braised cabbage, Dublin coddle (what people in Ireland actually eat on St. Patrick's Day), or a classic pub staple — Irish beer cheese. Murphy's lighter body and delicate hint of sweetness is a great addition to this stout beer-braised short ribs with smoky chiles recipe, but it's most notably perfect in a classic, hearty meal like Irish lamb or beef stew.