Comments on: McSorley’s Ale – A Beer Review

By: Paul Tebo

Paul Tebo — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:51:17 +0000

Just wondering where a Chicago boy could purchase McSorleys. I have had this brew at Irish fest in Milwaukee and would love to enjoy it on a regular basis. Thanks

By: Scott-TBC

Scott-TBC — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:30:45 +0000

Thanks everybody for the comments! So I'm hearing that the brew has changed, maybe worth another try at some point, but I'm not going to go out of my way just to try it. Funny story from The Professor! Talk about taking customers for granted, right? Mike, you kill me! I really hope it was spirit and not spit, although based on the Professor's story.... Scott-TBC’s last blog post..Beer Review - Draught Guinness

By: Michael Reinhardt

Michael Reinhardt — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:00:51 +0000

Are you sure that they didn't say brewed in the Irish spit and not spirit? I'm just kidding of course. Sorry about your bad experiences with this. I know that Bells from Michigan makes a pretty good Irish red beer (if I remember rightly). I've always much preferred Scottish beers to Irish and hoping for a McPatrick's days. Let me know what else you spot and find...perhaps I can find a bottle of Bells and a couple others and send them your way. Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Sip with us Saturday: Review of Brother Thelonious

By: The Professor

The Professor — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:33:33 +0000

I haven’t had McSorley’s in a while though I will pick some up under the new label since I have also heard that he recipe has been tweaked a bit recently.

Years ago, McSorley’s was a pretty damned good beer. It was of course for years only available on draft at McSorley’s Old Ale House in NYC. The first version of it I ever tasted was there, in 1970. By that time it had been brewed by the Rheingold brewery for some years and a bottled version was available that was quite good, with a nice hop bite and a healthy hop aroma. It survived pretty well when Ortlieb’s and later, Schmidt’s of Philadelphia took over brewing it in the mid 70’s. Subesequent breweries making McSorley’s (two or three, by my count) have dumbed it down somewhat, though it is still better than a lot of similar products out there.

I’ll be quite curious to get a taste of what is being offered under the brand now if the recipe has indeed been tweaked.

My favorite McSorley’s story is one that I have told in one or two other forums, so pardon if this is a repeat, but it kind of sums up the whole “authenticity” issue:

McSorleys is a great place for a quick, cheap lunch in NYC…stay away from it on the weekends though. I still stop into the ol’ place now and again for a few short beers and a cheap feed, and enjoy the funky atmosphere which is usually quiet during the day.

About 15 years ago, I was there to meet a few friends on a Friday just as the place was beginning to get really busy, as is always the case on the weekends. Not having been there in a while, and instantly noticing a change in the beer, I asked the bartenter, “So…who is making the beer these days?” He just laughed heartily, looked me in the eye, and pointed at the now dense crowd packing the place, and in a very thick brogue he said (and I quote him directly): “Laddy, it don’t f—ing matter who makes the beer. We could pipe it in from the urinals and these s—heads would still buy it.” A classic New York moment, by way of Ireland.
I guess he was the customer service department.

By: Bill W

Bill W — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:25:45 +0000

If your review is based on the ale that came from a bottle with THAT label as pictured , you have the old batch.

Find the bottle with the picture of Old John McSorley on the label – the recipe has been tweaked recently. You might like it better.

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:22:35 +0000

It is a statement of the obvious but Beamish and Murphy’s are pretty good too. I like other stouts better though.