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I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Tom Crean Brewery in Kenmare, Ireland, while on a
Back Roads bike trip. What a gem! The brewery offers a warm and inviting atmosphere that
immediately makes you feel at home. Their brews were outstanding; I particularly loved the Six
Magpies Stout, which rivals even the best pints of stouts I’ve had elsewhere in Ireland – their
stout tasted really great a room temp! All their beers were exceptional and showed the
brewery’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
What set this visit apart was the fascinating backstory of Tom Crean himself, from his own
granddaughter and founder of the brewery. Hearing about Crean’s incredible Antarctic
expeditions with Scott and Shackleton, and the critical role he played in some of the most daring
survival stories in polar exploration history was captivating.
It was inspiring to see how the family has honored Tom’s legacy, not just through the brewery,
but also through their desire to run the operations sustainably by cutting waste, sending the
mash to local farmers as feed and incorporating energy conservation measures.
The visit was more than a beer tasting; it was a journey through a remarkable piece of Irish and
Antarctic history with a great group of people.
Andrea O'Brien U.S.More than a beer tasting
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Four of us did this tour on Saturday 12.08.2023. I would recommend it to 'one and all'. Fantastic to sit and hear such interesting information on the whole process involved, the ethos of Bill & Aileen in their running and development of the brewery. Added to that, Aileen provided us with some incredible historical information about Tom Crean, her Grandfather, and also about the amazing expedition that they undertook in 2016. To top it all, we got very generous tastings of 4 varieties of their beers. Top class.
Linda Gallagher via GoogleTop class
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We had the most amazing time in the brewery with Bill and Aileen tasting all the different beers which were delicious. With Bill talking is through the whole brewing process and sampling each beer and talking history and Aileen telling us about her family and her famous grandfather and their own amazing adventure . The tour is brilliant and they make you feel so at home and really went above and beyond for us and honestly made our whole weekend
Jack HarpurDublin
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great place, we found the family at work, unfortunately the pub was closed but they welcomed us at the back of the brewery where we enjoyed the taste of delicious beers accompanied by stories and curiosities from Tom's life. Greetings to the whole team from Poland 🙂 Ahoy!
Filip KuczakDelicious beers
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Stopped by the brewery as I was passing the door just to have a quick look. The brewer was friendly and they had a nice set up. I bought some cans to go and the beer was good. Overall a positive experience.
DiarmuidCork
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Definitely stop by! We didn't realize they weren't open and were only in town as a quick stop. Bill chatted with us and was able to sell us some cans to go. Their family has an incredible story, the beer is delicious, very kind and down to earth. Great conversation!! Thank you, Bill!!!
MadeleineTripadvisor
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The selection of vegan microbrewed beers from award winning stout and lager, to low alcohol, to watermelon infused beers was amazing. Would recommend a tour of the brewery and history lesson of the expeditions of Tom Cream from his descendants. An excellent experience. Thanks all!
Kevin O'ConnorAn excellent experience
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When I rate 5 stars for food here, I mean the beer. They're a brewery, not a restaurant but the beer is first rate!!!!! Also the couple are so welcoming and have some epic stories. If you're gonna be in kenmare look this place up!!!!
Dr. Catherine Moriarty via GoogleLook this place up!!!!
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What a fascinating brewery! We met the granddaughter of the explorer who the brewery was named after. Beers were delicious too!
TerryMiddletown
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The Tom Crean brewery tour in Kenmare is an absolute must. At the very least, the craft beers are superb, added to that is the almost tangible story of Aileens grandfather the actual Tom Crean who accompanied both Scott and Shackleton to the South Pole. His epic journey is brought alive by this couples own journey and trials following in his footsteps. It was an honour to spend the afternoon immersed in history while enjoying superb craft beers. A winner all round.
Brid van der MeidenA winner all round
