When in Ireland, drink what the Irish drink!

One of the things I wanted to do in Ireland was to sit down at a bar and order whatever the Irishman next to me was drinking. I figured if it was anything but Guinness, perhaps there'd be a good reason behind it. So while spending our two weeks here, Jen and I have been monitoring the beverage selections of the locals. Tourists don't count – they all order Guinness. But the locals – now that has been interesting.

About half drink Guinness. We think this is a pretty good finding, since it's the majority drink and agrees with expectations. In Dublin, Miller Genuine Draft seemed to be the most common alternative. I drank that stuff in graduate school, and it's not bad for an American beer, but it's no Guinness! Heineken and Carlsberg are also popular. Close to Kilkenny, Smithwicks was common (yay!).

In Galway, at the Volvo Ocean Races, however, Bulmer's Apple Cider was in extreme prevalence. Bulmers in bottles, cans, whatever, and always with ice. We don't know whether it was due to the weather (freakin' hot) or if it's normal. But Bulmer's is a darkly amber cider produced in Tipperary. It has a great toasty nature backed by solid apple tang. Being a fan of cider, I found it really great that the Irish embrace this ancient legacy just as they do the rest of their heritage. On Ireland's western coast, there has been an even split between Bulmers and Guinness, with pretty much nothing else in evidence. Here on Inishmore Island (the largest of the Aran Islands), it is by far the beverage of choice – well above Guinness.
I'm hoping to be able to find some Bulmer's at home, so we can see if it's as good as in Ireland. Accodring to a friendly publican, it goes by the brand name "Magner's" in Chicago.