Smithwick's

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Smithwicks is an Irish red ale style beer from Kilkenny in Ireland. It originated from and is still brewed at 'St. Francis abbey Brewery' in the city. Known as 'Smithwicks Brewery' unitil c.2000, it was founded 1710 by the Franciscan monks and later the name Smithwicks came from John Smithwick. It has the ruins of the original Franciscan abbey in its grounds. It is the major ale producer in Ireland. It was purchased from Irish Ale Breweries in 1965 by Guinness and is now, along with Guinness, part of Diageo.

From the early '60s until the mid '80s, Smithwicks was probably the second most popular beer in Ireland after Guinness.

When pronouncing the name, the 'W' is silent. In Ireland, it is generally pronounced as 'Smithicks', 'Smitticks', 'Smidicks' or 'Smeth-icks'. The variation of pronunciations is mostly due to differing accent and dialects of the Irish. When ordering in the US, 'Smithicks' is the preferred method, while 'Smiddicks' is the most prevalent pronunciation in Canada.

Smithwick's Draught has a ruby red tone with a stable, but slightly thin head. Its texture is smooth and refined, with a bitter and complex finish. Although of lesser fame than Guinness, Smithwicks is often regarded as the 'local favourite' amongst Irish pubgoers. In 2004, Diageo PLC began distribution in the USA. Smithwick's had previously been marketed in Canada with great success.
Smithwick's Barley Wine is now brewed by Macardle Moore Brewery another Guinness-owned brewery.
Kilkenny Cream Ale is a similar beer to Smithwick's Draught, however it has a cream head similar to Guinness and has a stronger taste (more bitter than Smithwicks). The 'Kilkenny' name was originally used during the '80's and '90's to market a stronger version of Smithwick's for the European and Canadian market due to difficulty in pronunciation of the word Smithwicks; but it now refers to a similar yet distinctly different beer.

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