Murphy's Irish Stout
Murphy's Irish Stout, or Murphy's, is a dry stout brewed in County Cork, Ireland according to the original recipe by Murphy's Brewery since 1856.[1]
In comparison to its heavier and more bitter chief competitors, Guinness and Beamish, Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout.[2][3] Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt,[4] and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk".[2] The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture: Murphy's is free from any hint of carbonation,[2] and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam – the head – on top.[5] The head, in particular, is lauded for its remarkably thick and creamy nature and its "spoonable" density.[6]
Local Irish history pits the Guinness drinkers of Dublin squarely against the Murphy's drinkers of Cork. Long has it been a lively rivalry between the two, with Murphy's viewed as the more "craft" beer of the two, and Guinness being the Jabberwocky of International regards.
After years as a solely local beer, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy's to the international drinking community. It was the fastest growing stout in the world in 1997,[7] and is available in 70 countries.[8] Critical reception outside Ireland has been generally positive. For example, the '"Beer Bites" column of The Daily Orange granted it "three and a half out of four mugs"[2].
In addition to being distributed in kegs, Murphy's is also available in a can. In order to simulate the appearance and texture of the tap version, cans of Murphy's contain a nitrogen widget, which increases the creaminess of the head when poured.[9]
Murphy's Irish Stout was the title sponsor of the Irish Open golf tournament from 1994 to 2002.[10]
Murphys relys heavily on the Cork market, with little or no sale of the drink outside the county. On the general Irish market, Murphys is the third best selling stout, after Guinness and Beamish.
Many stout drinkers in Cork City claim that Murphys is a laxative, and is known to "go through you".
[edit] References
- ^ "Murphy's Stout". Cheers. 2000-03-01.
- ^ a b c d West, Bill (2007-11-30). "Beer Bites". The Daily Orange. http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2007/11/30/Feature/Beer-Bites.Murphys.Irish.Stout-3124925.shtml. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Brown, Andrew C. (1986-02-03). "A Dutch Challenge to the King of Stout". Fortune. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1986/02/03/67077/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Givens, Ron (1996-03-15). "Holiday for the Stout-Hearted". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1996/03/15/1996-03-15_holiday_for_the_stout-hearted.h`tml. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Whiting, Sam (2001-03-14). "Living It Up Like the Irish". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/14/FD205311.DTL&type=food. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Lehndorff, John (2001-03-16). "Pub grub for all year". Rocky Mountain News. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2001/Mar/16/pub-grub-for-all-year/. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Singer, Penny (1997-12-07). "Surveying Beer Market From White Plains". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500EED6153DF934A35751C1A961958260. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ "Heineken Ireland breaks 20% market share mark". RTÉ.ie. 2006-02-26. http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0222/heineken-business.html. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Cravens, David W.; Lamb, Charles W.; Crittenden, Victoria Lynn (2001). Strategic Marketing Management Cases (7 ed.). Michigan: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. p. 347. ISBN 978-0072514827. http://books.google.com/books?id=6-TtAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 18 June 2011. "For most of its first 135 years, Murphy's was available only in draft form in pubs throughout Ireland. A packaging innovation (draughtflow cans) was launched in October 1992. A plastic device (called a widget) is fitted into the bottom of the can which nitrates the liquid after the can is opened, creating the famous creamy head and giving the product a publike taste."
- ^ sportspromedia.com - Heineken to sponsor Irish Open - 2011-07-27
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