The Brews Cruise across Ireland was a wonderful experience, made so not only by our coordinator, curator and driver each, but by the warmth and genuine hospitality of all the business owners and folk we met across the country during our stay. Some people may not enjoy the rigidity of guided tours- the inability to see and explore at one's own pace and leisure - but I feel like having a tour led served a purpose: there are many attractions and moments that would have been hard to find or outright missed on my own. My utmost gratitude to Evan for his careful and flexible curation of events, exhibitions and tastings, Don for leading discussions and reflections between stops along the way and especially Seamus for both his steady hand on the road and his in-depth local and historical knowledge of the country and each county along the way. From Galway's busy student filled nightlife, to inspiring views of Skellig Michael from the misty waters of Portmagee, the humbling tranquility of Cnoc Suain's traditional embrace of cottage living and local ecology and the towering majesty of Kylemore Abbey and the stoic Charles Fort- testaments to Ireland's spiritual and tumultuous pasts. Then there's the delights of Ireland's food and drink! Killarney, Ballykilcavan and Dead Centre breweries all focused on bringing craft brewing back to the people in the shade of Guinness's towering presence, each sharing their perspectives on showcasing local talent and flavor, individual personality and pride, and the struggles of finding one's way in a dominated market. These breweries (and more, I'm sure) deserve the opportunity to flourish and it's my sincere hope that more beer drinkers in country embrace the local as have become popular in certain parts of the States (New England in particular). Micil Distillery, Portmagee Distillery, Tullamore Dew and Kinsale Mead showcased stronger spirits- learning about poitín at Micil, observing Tullamore's pristine, well-oiled production, Portmagee's dedication to bringing people to the Skellig Ring and Kinsale Mead's inspiration to revive old crafting techniques and the earliest of all spirits. The wild red mead at Kinsale was a particular delight, and the Irish Coffees at Tullamore is the hands-down best I've ever had. A quick stop at Burren Smokehouse was also a fine treat- the salmon was delicious enough to inspiring my husband and I to stock up on a few items and have a private picnic lunch when we settled in Killarney for the evening. The jewel of the trip (in my opinion) was by and large our visit to Mescan Brewing. Nestled deep in the countryside, blessed by sunshade and greeted by Cillian- perhaps the most enthusiastic brewer one might ever meet- and his delightful story as a former veterinarian and the brewery's focus on Belgian style ales (of all things). Their focus on pairing beer with food as a part of their craft was particularly appealing- it's an important part of building an experience that shouldn't be exclusive to wine, and Mescan did not disappoint! The team provided a small taste of local fares for each of their delicious ales, with goal cheeses from neighbors and the brightest, most purely delicious asparagus I've ever eaten, swimming in wild garlic aioli. Paired with their best beer (their tenth anniversary Gold Óir) it was the finest meal of the entire trip for me, and if I was only able to go back to Ireland for a moment once, it would be back to Mescan without question. The trip was fairly smooth and we lucked out with a harmonious, eager group. There were some hiccups; tight schedules often left us with very little time to get fed at lunchtime (at least twice as little as 20-30 minutes in crowded areas) and sometimes reflecting on each stop after each stop (and revisiting the previous day at the beginning of the next) got a little grating. I get that it was supposed to help keep those experiences fresh in our minds, but it also felt like being prepped for a test when it was time to relax between stops. Overall, the experience as a whole was worth everything. I eagerly looking forward to revisiting Ireland with this tour when they announce their next jaunt.

Very well curated trip. Coach bus was beautiful and comfy. Seamus O’Shea is a great narrator and expert driver. He even made suggestions for little side trips. Evan M. Is a real pro! Comfortable with all styles of traveler, great narrator, good listener, unflappable! Cared for his guests and gave great insider tips to enhance our experience. He was a great guide and gave many options for all travel styles. Don Littlefield, the US counterpart has become a great guide. He studies the regions and presents a comprehensive overview of where we are and where we are going. If I had one suggestion about his narration it would be to consider less “scripted talking” and to increase engagement with his guests. We absolutely loved our trip! We would most definitely travel with these folks again.

This trip was truly spectacular. The food, the people, and the sights couldn't have been better. I gained so many life-long memories.