I have been watching videos on Twitter of David Walsh-Kemmis and his efforts to clear the old mill race on his family estate in Stradbally, Co Laois. “It has filled up in the last week with all the rain and looks really well,” he says. “It’s ornamental as the original mill race is now above the river level. We are trying to give the impression of how it would have looked. The fire officer said we needed 40,000 litres of water on site so that pushed my hand. Hopefully it will never be used.”
Ballykilcavan produce a range of very good craft beers, made using their own water and barley. Walsh-Kemmis was in farming mode when we spoke, having just harvested the barley for next year. “It has been surprisingly good. As a farmer you do your best, but really it is all down to the weather. It yielded well with good protein levels so we are happy. Last year was a disaster,” he says.
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“Our hops are looking well too, just coming out now. We will harvest around the last week in September.” Ballykilcavan produce a special once-off fresh hop beer every year, made 100 per cent from their own water, hops and barley. “We get 30 people in to pick by hand and bring them straight into the brewery, and in a couple of hours we are brewing. It’s like a vintage wine, different every year.”
The visitor centre is not finished because of the pandemic, but Ballykilcavan is open for brewery tours for limited numbers every Saturday, or for private tours.
You may still be able to buy the last cans of their sixth Clancy’s limited-edition beer, an Australian IPA made with Ella, Big Secret and Galaxy hops, with Irish barley. The next beer, an as yet unnamed kellerbier, will debut today at the Midlands Beer Festival in Don’s bar in Moate. See Facebook for details and tickets, or to buy a mixed case of beer from breweries participating in the festival.
