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The Irish are noted for many things, beer being one of them. But as Ronan Brennan and Aidan Murphy know all too well, the Irish are also very picky and stubborn beer drinkers. If it's not a stout or a lager, most pub regulars won't go near it.

But Brennan and Murphy, first cousins from Galway, are looking to change the national attitude toward craft beer. Three years ago, this brewing duo introduced Galway Hooker, an Irish Pale Ale with influences from American craft beer.

While they started out on a small scale, selling kegs to a few pubs in Galway, they've steadily spread through about 40 bars across the country to Dublin, Donegal, Limerick and several other places all around Ireland. This alone is a fantastic success for the small brewery but they're not done yet.

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For those not familiar with the Emerald Isle, the thought of Ireland might bring to mind tired clichés, like shamrocks, pints of stout and leprechauns. But, in reality, Ireland is much more complex with a diverse nightlife scene to boot.

In fact, the face of Irish nightlife is changing, for the better or worse. That traditional Irish pub where you could sit at the bar, have a friendly discussion with a neighbor and listen to a "session" (traditional Irish music) is slowly fading into something more modern and young.

As Bill Barich points out in his novel A Pint of Plain, dance clubs are replacing the quietude of pubs in many parts of Ireland while the tradition is reserved for the tourists. But, even so, upon visiting Galway and a few surrounding areas, I was able to find a quality spot to have a pint – Shoot the Crows in Sligo. But it did take my friends and I a few nights to come upon this fantastic spot.

Boston Beer Co. told Associated Press that they would be releasing a new craft beer which they've developed with Weihenstephan Brewery out of Germany.



The two breweries have been collaborating for two years on this single beer, which they will market together and sell in both America and Germany. While the beer has yet to be named, we do know that it will be sold in bottles with corks and pack a punch with 10% alcohol.

It's fantastic to see a historical brewery like Weihenstephan (which dates back to 1040) teaming up with an American craft beer maker. But this may be the latest in the trend – traditional brewers from overseas have been looking to America's young craft brewers for new and innovative ways to make beer.

In early October, Men's Journal released their list of the top five beer towns in America. Included in the list were the obvious cities, like Portland and Philadelphia. And while Denver seemed ominously absent, a new town had managed to grab the top spot: San Diego.



Sustaining 33 breweries in the San Diego area, this southern California town usually known for surfing and sun bathing has surpassed classic beer towns across the country. And with powerhouse craft brewer Stone Brewing Co. just 30 minutes outside the city limits, America's Finest City (seriously -- that's actually their nickname) has a lot of pull with the brewing community.

Perhaps this is why the city has decided to host their first annual Beer Week, November 6-15, 2009.

Earlier this month, the craft brewing world lost a great: Greg Noonan. Founder of Vermont Pub and Brewery, the state's oldest craft brewery and the second oldest brew pub on the east coast, Noonan did much to further the success of craft breweries around the country.

Authoring Brewing Lager Beer: The Most Comprehensive Book for Home – and Micro-Breweries, Noonan even helped in the birth of many of today's micro-breweries, making craft brewers a force to be reckoned with. And craft breweries are continuing to succeed even today in the face of a recession and tax hikes – and gruff from big companies.

In less than two weeks, this beer enthusiast will take a trip to Galway, Ireland to discover a bit of the Irish pub culture (which according to some is beginning to vanish in Ireland) and, with luck, try some Galway Hooker which has to be one of the best local brew names I've heard in a while -- and apparently it's also delicious.

Colorado claims a proud tradition for beer. The original home of Coors Brewing Company, the state has more recently made their mark with several quality craft breweries.

Located exactly one mile above sea level, Denver was the proud host of the Great American Beer Festival this past weekend. Beers from just about all America's breweries -- from the smallest to the largest -- brought their best brews to compete for a medal at the festival. And they also served up those brews in small tasting glasses to beer lovers who came to the Colorado Convention Center for the festival -- like me.

While I will not arrive in the Mile High City until Thursday morning and the Great American Beer Festival doesn't kick off until tomorrow, the city is already celebrating beer with Denver Beer Week. Much like the New York Craft Beer Week, which I just attended last week, brewers from all over the country flock to Denver to attend events, tastings and much more all across town.

Fall is the time of year when leaves change, the weather grows chilly and delicious Oktoberfest beers appear on shelves in your favorite stores.