Have you been to Rascals Brewery in Inchicore, Dublin 8?
Not only does the team brew its exceptional beer right on site, but the brewery also has indoor and outdoor dining areas, an incredible pizzeria with a takeaway offering, and an all-new off-licence.
Rascals Brewing was founded in 2014 by Emma Devlin and Cathal O'Donoghue, who discovered a passion for homebrewing while living in New Zealand. Since its inception, Rascals has grown from a homebrew kit in a bathroom in Rathmines to a fully-fledged brewery in Inchicore, complete with an impressive bar, outdoor seating, pizza restaurant and a behind the scenes area where visitors can watch the Rascals brewing process in action.
The Rascals off-licence
There's no better place to buy beer than straight from the source, which is why the Rascals off-licence is so unique; you can literally see the beer being brewed as you make your selection. Operated by a team obsessed with good beer, the extensive range includes the Rascals core beers as well as an ever-changing roster of guest beers from Ireland and further afield.
One of the most unique offerings from the off-licence is the mini keg: each five-litre mini-keg serves up around ten pints and is only available on-site at Rascals. With an outdoor summer ahead, setting up a mini-keg out your back garden for a barbecue or other gathering sounds like a very cool way to offer your guests an interesting drink in the summer sun. Can't make it to the brewery's off-licence to get your hands on a mini-keg? They're also available from the Rascals online store - click here for more information.
As well as the incredible selection of beers, which is curated by restaurant manager Dorota 'Dot' Czyz, customers can also purchase Rascals merch - think t-shirts and branded glasses - and spirits from Stillgarden Distillery, which is located just next door.
Beer and pizza pairings
If, like us, you love the classic beer and pizza combo, then Rascals pizzeria is the perfect place to dine this summer. The covered outdoor area has plenty of seating that can be booked ahead, so it's perfect for the Irish weather! As indoor dining is allowed to reopen on July 26 the Rascals team will be ready and waiting to welcome guests back to their indoor area - keep an eye on the website to make a booking once they become available.
As well as wood-fired pizzas and incredible beers, guests can enjoy sides of olives or garlic bread, order from the children's menu or enjoy a Stillgarden cocktail, depending on their fancy.
Want to make sure you order the perfect pizza and beer pairing? We sat down with Joe Donnelly of Rascals Brewing to match some of the brewery's delicious pizzas with a few of their best-known beers. Read on to find your perfect pairing.
Buffalo Saints with Happy Days
The crowd-pleasing Buffalo Saints pizza is one of the pizzeria's biggest sellers: topped with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, Pecorino cheese, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, this pizza is a total classic, which is why it makes sense to pair it with a Rascals classic like Happy Days.
"Happy Days is a session pale ale and one of our bestsellers," Joe said. "It's a really nice, refreshing beer with a light, hoppy flavour. Happy Days is the perfect pairing for the Buffalo Saints because both are quite simple, but really tasty, so they go very well together."
Meat Me In Inchicore with Jailbreak
This pizza offers a serious feed; topped with mozzarella, Gubbeen chorizo, pepperoni and roasted peppers, this pizza is perfect for those that like a little spice in their food. Paired with Jailbreak, another Rascals classic, this meal packs a serious punch of flavour.
"The Meat Me In Inchicore Pizza is hot and spicy, so it's absolutely gorgeous with a smooth, crisp, refreshing lager like Jailbreak," Joe told us. "It's a traditional German-style Helles lager and is perfect when it's really chilled. It's ideal for outdoors and you'll definitely want something like Jailbreak with hot and spicy food."
Funghi The Dolphin's Barn with Yankee White IPA
Hilariously named for both the brewery's locality and Ireland's favourite sea creature, this vegan pizza is jam-packed with goodness. This pizza is topped with tomato sauce, roasted peppers, spinach, red onion, jalapeños, portobello mushrooms, rocket and moreish red pesto - just because it's meat-free doesn't mean it's not full of flavour! We paired this pizza with the Rascals Brewery classic Yankee White IPA to ensure a balanced mouthful.
"Yankee White IPA is a really interesting one because it's a mix of two styles of beer - American IPA and Belgian witbier," Joe said. "The Belgian yeast used has a subtle spice to it, which I think gives a nice balance to the distinct taste of our vegan pizza, it really works with the freshly prepared vegetables."
The Dublin Ate with Wunderbar IPA
Topped with mozzarella, Clonakilty black pudding, goats cheese and red onion, this pizza offers unique, delicious flavours. Slightly heavier than some of the other options, The Dublin Ate is a total winner in terms of both flavour and texture, so of course it had to be paired with a top-notch brew - enter, Wunderbar IPA.
"The Dublin Ate is an absolute monster, it's really big and heavy, so it's just class," Joe explained. "I was wondering what beer to pair this pizza with and thought I'd just try these two together, and it really worked. The black pudding gives me a really strong Munich beer hall-type feel, which I love."
Light My Fire with Fruitropolis Pale Ale
Last, but certainly not least, the Light My Fire pizza is a sweet and spicy pizza that's perfect for a summer's day. Topped with buffalo mozzarella, ‘nduja, rocket, Pecorino and spicy honey, this pizza is a real winner. We paired it with Fruitropolis Pale Ale for a balanced flavour profile.
"This really is an absolutely gorgeous pizza and I thought it would go well with tropical flavours," Joe said. "Between the sweet honey and spicy 'nduja, it pairs really well with Fruitropolis, which gives you flavours of mango, passion fruit and apricot, all of which also go really well with the peppery rocket."
WIN a night out for four at Rascals Brewery!
We're delighted to have teamed up with Rascals to give one lucky FOOD&WINE reader the chance to win a night out for four, including pizzas and two beers each, plus a €50 voucher for the group to spend in the on-site off-license.
To be in with a chance to win this exclusive prize, simply answer the following question and submit the form below. Terms and conditions apply. Good luck
T&Cs apply. Entrants must be 18 years or older. This prize cannot be exchanged for cash and is non-transferrable. Editor's decision is final. Winner will be contacted by email and if they do not respond within a day, a new winner will be selected. Open to residents in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland only. One entry per person. Competition closes midnight Monday, August 2.
Brought to you in association with Rascals Brewery
