Gold all around for Mayo's Mescan Brewery

WHAT a week for Mescan Brewery!

Last weekend their beers won two coveted Blás na hÉireann medals, they reached the final stages of the Mayo Business Awards and the Irish Family Business Awards and also launched Mescan Gold, a brand new beer celebrating 10 years in business.

At Blás na hÉireann in Dingle, a gold medal was awarded to Mescan Lager and a silver medal to Mescan Red Tripel in the Ales category.

This is the national food awards, now in their 17th year of rewarding the very best in Irish food and drink. It’s the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country and the judging criteria and system developed with the Food Science Department of UCC is recognised as an international industry standard.

The Kilsallagh, Westport, based craft brewery run by Cillian Ó Móráin and his wife Naomi Clarkin were shortlisted for two separate awards this week.

Mescan is a finalist in the Responsible Tourism category of the Mayo Business Awards; this is based on their growing reputation for brewery tours and Belgian beer brewing courses. The awards ceremony for the Mayo Business Awards takes place on November 1 in Breaffy House Hotel.

In the Irish Family Business Awards, Mescan has reached the shortlist in the Family Food and Drink Producer of the year category along with two other Mayo businesses - Kelly’s Butchers and Croagh Patrick Seafood and Tours. This awards ceremony is just a week later, on November 8, in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin.

Capping off a remarkable seven days, Mescan Brewery have launched a brand new beer appropriately called Mescan Gold - Óir. It's a special release to celebrate the brewery’s 10 year milestone.

Mescan Gold is a blond beer, slightly higher in ABV than the perennial favourite Mescan Blond, and spiced to add complexity. In traditional Mescan fashion, this beer has had a long maturation since being brewed in March before bottling in September.

Mescan Brewery is in in the foothills of Croagh Patrick (Mescan was a monk who was St. Patrick’s personal brewer). They produce high quality Belgian-style craft beers which are increasingly available in off licences, pubs and restaurant countrywide as well as through the Mescan website.