Murphy's Irish Stout
Encyclopedia
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
according to the original recipe by Murphy's Brewery
Murphy's Brewery
Murphy's Brewery was a brewery founded in Cork, Republic of Ireland in 1856. It was known as Lady's Well Brewery until it was purchased by Heineken International in 1983, when the name changed to Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. The name of the brewery was recently changed to Heineken Brewery Ireland,...
since 1856.
In comparison to its heavier and more bitter chief competitors, Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
and Beamish, Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout. Its flavour is evocative of caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
and malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
, and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk
Chocolate milk
Chocolate milk is a sweetened, usually cold, cocoa-flavored milk drink. It is created when chocolate syrup is mixed with milk . It can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either cocoa powder and a sweetener , or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix...
". The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture; Murphy's is free from any hint of carbonation
Carbonation
Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water. The process usually involves carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which cause the solution to "fizz." This effect is seen in carbonated...
, and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam – "the head" – on top. The head, in particular, is lauded for its remarkably thick and creamy nature and its "spoonable" density.
After years as a mostly local beer, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken - with a consequent expansion in distribution - exposed Murphy's to the international drinking community. A series of television adverts exposed the Murphy brand of stout to a larger world-wide audience, voice overs by actor Tony Clarkin
Tony Clarkin
Tony Clarkin is a British musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock band Magnum...
. As the fastest growing stout in the world, Murphy's is available in 70 countries worldwide. Critical reception of the beverage outside its native land has been generally positive. As an example, the '"Beer Bites" column of The Daily Orange
The Daily Orange
The Daily Orange is an independent student newspaper published in Syracuse, New York. It is free, and published daily during the Syracuse University academic year.It was one of the first college papers to become fully independent from its parent college...
granted it "three and a half out of four mugs".
In addition to being distributed in kegs, Murphy's Irish Stout is also available in a can. In order to simulate the appearance and texture of the tap
Beer tap
A beer tap is a valve, specifically a tap, for controlling the release of beer. While in other contexts, depending on location, a "tap" may be a "faucet", "valve" or "spigot", the use of "tap" for beer is almost universal. This may be because the word was originally coined for the wooden valve in...
version, cans of Murphy's Irish Stout contain a nitrogen widget
Widget (beer)
A widget is a device placed in a container of beer to manage the characteristics of the beer's head. The original widget was patented in Ireland by Guinness. The "floating widget" is found in cans of beer as a hollow plastic sphere, 3 cm in diameter with a small hole in one side...
, which increases the creaminess of the head
Beer head
Beer head is the frothy foam on top of liquid beer after it is poured in a glass. It is produced by bubbles of carbon dioxide rising to the surface....
when poured into a glass
Beer glassware
Beer glassware comprises the drinking vessels made of glass designed or commonly used for drinking beer. Different styles of glassware exist for a number of reasons: they may reflect national traditions; they may reflect legislation regarding serving measures; they may relate to practicalities of...
or mug.
Murphy's Irish Stout was the title sponsor of the Irish Open
Irish Open (golf)
The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
golf tournament from 1994
1994 European Tour
The 1994 European Tour was the 23rd official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:...
to 2002
2002 European Tour
The 2002 European Tour was the 31st season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2002 season consisted of 45 official money events, which included the four major championships and three World Golf Championships which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour...
.