On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most-unique, new draft-beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Molly Maguire’s Hop Clover IPA
Where: Molly Maguire’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, 202 East Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, PA
A week or so before the new Molly Maguire’s in Downingtown opened, I was lucky enough to get a grand tour with owner Declan Mannion and Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell. During the tour, Declan introduced me to Sean Kelly, the new General Manager, who was very excited to announce that even before the doors were open, Molly’s first collaboration beer was already in the process.
Upon returning for dinner on a Sunday night, I was met with the sounds of live Irish music. The fiddle music had me craving a Guinness or a Smithwick’s, but then the waitress informed us this new collaboration beer had arrived!
Molly Maguire’s Hop Clover IPA was brewed in collaboration with Downingtown’s own Victory Brewing Co. and was launched in mid-November. This is the first Molly Maguire’s branded beer, exclusively served in their three restaurants. Victory Brewing Co. collaborates often with brew pubs, such as with P.J. Whelihan’s recently released 30th Anniversary Ale. But tonight was about the beer Molly’s claims is the “First Ever Irish IPA.”
Molly Maguire’s Hop Clover IPA pours a light yellow with a nice half-inch head that survived the walk to our table. My date said she could smell the hops before I even had a sip. Hoppy it is! This is an IPA for those hop lovers out there. It’s 6.5% ABV, so caution is in order if drinking more than one.
The new Irish pub is bright and inviting. The large oak bar, handcrafted in Ireland, provides a contrast to the yellow walls, which are decorated with fire fighting paraphernalia, in a nod to the Minquas Firefighters who used to be stationed in the building. Read more about the October tour I took and the phased opening of this new Downingtown nightspot by clicking here.
