The Bowsing Ken

Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd :
      Murphy's Stout

  Is Murphy's Irish Stout made with Holy Water? Does drinking Murphy's Irish Stout give you the strength to lift a horse? Did a man actually have to take a swim in Murphy's Irish Stout simply to save his life. Read on, my friends, the answers will follow.
  James J. Murphy was born in November 1825, in Cork, Ireland, the oldest of a big family of 15 siblings. Reaching adulthood, James - or James J., as he was often called - entered into the distilling business. Soon, however, he sold off his interest in the distillery and, along with four of his brothers, began to brew beer. (Unfortunately, all of the printed histories of Murphy's fail to mention the names of the other brothers. James J. was obviously the eldest and was considered the head of the group.)
  In 1854, the Murphy brothers bought a disused hospital in Cork and therein set up their brewery. Next to this hospital-now-brewery was a Holy Well, called the Lady's Well, or alternatively Our Lady's Well. The water from the Lady's Well had long been used in religious devotions, and was now being used to brew beer. Soon the brewery became known as the Lady's Well Brewery. The first batch of beer from what was officially known as the James J. Murphy & Company was brewed in 1856.
  Over the ensuing years, the Murphy brothers and their brewery enjoyed increasing success. In 1892, Murphy's Stout won a gold medal at a Dublin brewers exhibition, and another gold medal at a 1895 exhibition in Manchester, both of these medals appear on the Murphy's Stout label today. In between the awarding of these two medals, Murphy's Stout was the recipient of an important endorsement from a world-renowned celebrity, namely eminent strongman Eugen Sandow. In 1893, Mr. Sandow noted, "From experience I can strongly recommend Messr J.J. Murphy's Stout." Validation of the physical prowess obtained from drinking Murphy's Stout came in the form of an illustration showing Mr. Sandow lifting a horse.

  James J. passed away in 1897 - about the time the brewery output topped 100,000 barrels - so he was not around to see the flood of beer of 1913. It turns out that Vat Number Five - full of porter - burst, spilling some 23,000 gallons of beer in the brewery. An unnamed worker was faced with the deluge and was forced to swim 40 yards to safety. One wonders if he took a sip while swimming for his life - I think I would.
   Murphy's Stout continued to enjoy an expanding following through the 20th Century, and during this time several innovations were fielded, including the first bottling of Murphy's Stout in 1921, and the first aluminum kegs - more familiarly called "iron lungs" in 1961. Fortunately for us, Murphy's Stout came to America in 1979. The year 2006, saw Murphy's celebrate its 150-year anniversary - a century and a half of making great beer.
  Today, Murphy's produces two main types: Murphy's Irish Stout - a Irish Dry Stout, and Murphy's Irish Red Ale. Seasonal and special beers, such as Murphy's Nollaig Brew, a Christmas stout with a dash of cinnamon, also appear from time to time. Here in North American one can find Murphy's Irish Stout fairly easily, while the Red Ale may be a bit harder to find. Keep looking, though, it's worth the effort.