1/1 Northern Ireland's Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons, has bafflingly rejected an independent report which gave recommendations of why and how to reform the outdated licensing laws in NI. With his rejection, he effectively attempted to put a red pen through the possibility...

Following on from my recent post about awful low alcohol beers at M&S, I just wanna say hello again to everyone I met at @belfastbeerfestival.co.uk where I was enjoying much tastier low ABV beers. If you want a low beer, try these - exclusively NOT for sale in M&S 😆

Some beer gurus rejoiced at the supposed demise of the Milkshake IPA. Thankfully those clever Beer Hut boys had other ideas 🥰

Not peaking too soon I'm rightly having my first pumpkin beer of the year after Hallowe'en. Belter.

Last year I wrote a piece on why the Belfast Beer & Cider Festival matters and why you should attend. It's back. It's on right now. I'm pouring beers. Come say hello. quareswally.com/2024/11/21/w...

I recently sampled five low alcohol beers from M&S. My detailed notes say you should avoid these five low alcohol beers from M&S. You're welcome.

Another bonkers brew from the lovable weirdos at Vault City Brewing in Edinburgh. They have a reputation for creating wacky sour beers and this one joins the very long line of those gone before. White Velvet is 6% ABV and labelled as a white dessert sour. Additions of coconut milk and banana 👀...

🎵one of these kids is doing his own thing 🎵😄

Crazy to think that there's much tastier local beer availability in Northern Ireland's coastal towns of Portrush or Kilkeel than there is in Albufeira, Portugal. Still, the craic was mighty with these loons 😁

When you find the place which fits you perfectly 😅

Great to see independent beer events happening right across Northern Ireland this weekend - from Portrush to Kilkeel to Lisbellaw in Co. Fermanagh 🍻 Portrush Beer Festival Beer Hut Brewing Company The Dog and Duck Inn

A reminder if you want to have a look at a list of all Northern Ireland's breweries and where they are on a map, it's right here 🍻 quareswally.com/northern-ire...

There's been a fair bit of chat recently about this new pickle sour beer from Belfast's Bullhouse Brew Co. It's an opinion divider and conversation starter but if you are a fan, I doubt you'll have a session of these things. There's plenty of salty and sharp pickle juice but one was enough for me 😆

A wee 340 mile round trip on the motorbike to the lovely town of Roscommon. If only the beer choice was as appealing 😐 made do with Lagunitas, Weihenstephan, Angelo Poretti and Tiger.

Boundary Brewing do make tasty stout. I could list their fantastic imperials over the years but I'll dial back the ABV love and give this 7.1% Untitled Release the round of applause it deserves. It's a collab with legends The Kernel Brewery and is as smooth as a Joey Tribbiani chat up line.

I'm being deliberately being slow in working my way through the last bottles of my favourite beer from the now ex-brewery Hilden at Lisburn. Barney's Brew, a 5% ABV wheat beer, launched in 2008 as a tribute to the 19th century baker Barney Hughes, creator of the Belfast Bap.

It's amazing what you can find in a Spar in Carnlough. Fermanagh's Inishmacsaint on a 2 for £5 offer! 👀

Sometimes a wee beer festival in the arse of nowhere can be great craic #NorthernIreland

Festival season is well underway with Hagstravaganza in Sligo and Great British Beer Festival in Birmingham yesterday. Next weekend it continues with Outpost in Fermanagh. Yes, a beer festival in Fermanagh! quareswally.com/2025/07/19/w...

Decided to take advantage of the sale by Our Brewery in County Antrim. Ordered over the weekend, despatched Monday and arrived Tuesday. Thanks guys, brilliant service 🍻 www.geterbrewed.com/geterpoured/...

Mispronouncing names from Mexico to Japan to Ballymena 😆 A long week as pitchside announcer at the SuperCupNI youth football tournament ends with a tasty wee north coast beer 🍻

Ventured around Wales last week on the motorbike and this place in Aberystwyth was an interesting find. Mashed Brewhouse aka Dark Farm brew beer to be only sold on site. They also sell brewing equipment and run home brew classes 🍻

Imagine The Dog and Duck Inn trusting me with announcing their beer and cider festival tap list 🧐 Sat 16 Aug. Best wee one-day beer festival in Northern Ireland. What are your top 3 'got to try them' from the list? quareswally.com/2025/07/19/w...

Sad to hear of the closure of Armagh Brewing Co. I always picked up a few bottles when I was in the area 😪

I never needed an excuse to head to Portrush but if you haven't yet heard the fantastic news about Lacada being granted permission to open a regular taproom at the brewery... 😃

Whaddup with the grump?

Fantastic news from BeerHut Brewing gang in Kilkeel 😍

Prodigy at Glastonbury and @thewhitehag.bsky.social Black Boar 2023 in hand. Boom! 🔥

*New blog post* What would be your ultimate pub quiz round? Mine isn't Love Island 2020-present. Thanks to @morrighani.bsky.social for suggesting this month's topic in #TheSession quareswally.com/2025/06/23/t...

Today I visited a Northern Irish pub/restaurant that's recently had a fair few quid pumped into its very impressive renovation. Both food and service were good but if only they took as much care into curating their beer menu as they did the food menu 😕

Happy Beer Day Northern Ireland 🍻 and here are just a couple of the local brews gifted in my Father's Day pressie. A Belgian tripel and American IPA from County Antrim's Our Brewery. Who else is having an Irish or Northern Irish beer today?

There's this thing on tomorrow where you can show your appreciation for your local breweries. Sure it's what you all do all year round anyway 🍻 👏🏼

Great to see Ryan's Bar in Belfast stocking Modest Beer (as well as Kinnegar's Scraggy Bay and Boundary's Imbongo)

Great to see a new Northern Ireland sub branch of @camraofficial.bsky.social serving Fermanagh and West. Based at The Dog and Duck Inn, a superb independent beer venue in Lisbellaw. No better place out that direction.

**New Blog Post** on Pac-Man, pie and pale ale at a Belfast birthday party. quareswally.com/2025/06/02/b...

It's June already so, along with the other 364 days of the year, show your support for local independent breweries by stocking up for Beer Day NI on 15th June (in partnership with Beer Day Britain)

Mon Dieu! I had to open a French beer after that Champions League final. A wee 12% ABV vanilla and whisky cask imperial stout from Brasserie Backporte in east France will do nicely. À votre santé.

Here's one of Northern Ireland's newest collaboration beers. Collabyrinth is a 4%ABV American Stout involving Warrenpoint's Mourne Mountains Brewery and Belfast's Bullhouse Brew Co. It's deliciously smooth and full of pine nuts and hoppy chocolate. If you're a fan of a Black IPA, you'll enjoy this.

Celebrating Liverpool's 20th league title with a cheeky wee triple IPA from Cloudwater. Only coming in at 10% ABV 😁 If I had planned it properly, I should have ordered from a Liverpool brewery, not Manchester.

Controversial Boundary thought. Forever Ago > Imbongo 😁

Un weekend magnifique in the Montmartre area of Paris to celebrate my big 50. Cracking bars included Brasserie Patoche, La Binouze Paris and BBP Pigalle. Santé!

When Dublin Airport knocks the spots off Belfast Airport. This is what an airport bar should look like 👏🏼 Full row of The White Hag taps at Tap + Brew, T1, Dublin Airport 🍻

*NEW BLOG POST* venturing out west Donegal way at Errigal Brewing. quareswally.com/2025/04/29/m...

Celebrating a 2025 LFC Premier League title with a beer from the year the last time they won it. Galway Bay Brewery's Two Hundred Fathoms 2020 10% ABV boozy alcohol hit has dissipated in that time, leaving a smooth impy stout oozing chocolate brownie and raisins. YNWA 😍 . #lfc #premierleague

A quare lookin' pint of Lacada pale ale, hi. Splittin' the L in Carrick-a-Rede Bar, Ballintoy.

Excellent labelling Declan! 1/5 😂 Well, it made ME laugh. @OtterbankBrewing at @caisleainoirhotel

A cracker day out at footgolf followed by Bullhouse, Boundary and The John Hewitt in Belfast.

As part of Indie Beer Week, Bullhouse East in Belfast will be pouring 4 cask beers from 3pm on Friday 11 April 👏🏼🍻 Rough Brothers - India Pale Ale and Northern Pale Verdant - Extra Special Bitter Left Handed Giant - Spring Protagonist Special Bitter Ale indiebeer.uk

The joys of a sunny day and discovering great Irish beers in a local Wineflair! 👀 Two great names in store - Kinnegar and Lacada - we need more! 💷 Wineflair Carrickfergus.

That was a day for enjoying the sun while sipping a Kinnegar ginger beer. Jackrabbit is 4% ABV and surprised many when I announced it as the Quare Swally Irish Beer of the Year 2024. It's a hugely refreshing ginger beer brewed with just the right amount of punchy and slightly fiery root ginger.