Galway Bay Brewery
Galway Bay Brewery is an independent brewery from Oranmore in County Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. It started in 2009 as the brewpub The Oslo in Salthill and grew into one of the larger Irish craft breweries. You know them for hoppy IPAs, imperial stouts and a range that combines modern and traditional.
- LocationOranmore, County Galway
- Founded2009
- TypeMicrobrewery
- Untappd 3.69 · 279k ratings
- At Hoptimaal1 in stock · 6 in total
In stock now 1
Previously at Hoptimaal 5
Sold out. If a new batch is coming, you can ask for a heads-up on the product page.
Sold out
Sold out
Sold out
Sold out
Sold out
From pizza restaurant to brewery in Oranmore
Galway Bay was founded by Jason O'Connell and Niall Walsh. They started as business partners with a pizza restaurant in Galway and imported American beers to serve with the food. Those beers got more reactions than the pizzas. That is how the restaurant became The Oslo in Salthill, a bar with its own microbrewery that was one of Ireland's first brewpubs in 2009.
It did not stay with that one brewing system. The brewery moved to a larger site and turned the old brewpub space into a barrel-ageing facility, according to BeerAdvocate the country's first dedicated barrel-aging programme. Today the main production is in Oranmore, close to Galway.
A turning point was 2012. That was when Chris Treanor walked in, a biotechnology graduate with no brewing experience, who soon took over as head brewer.
An Irish brewery with West Coast influences
In the beginning Galway Bay mostly brewed fairly traditional styles: a blonde, a red ale and a lager. Under Treanor the range moved towards modern craft. In 2013 he brewed Of Foam and Fury, a double IPA in the style of Californian beers of around 8 percent, which they still make. The imperial stout Two Hundred Fathoms followed.
According to TasteAtlas, the focus is now on hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, sour beers and barrel-aged stouts, alongside classic ale styles that keep the Irish brewing tradition alive. Treanor described his approach in 2015 as big, American beers with a lower alcohol percentage and in a bigger glass.
The beers also travel abroad. According to the brewery itself, Althea, at session strength, is the biggest seller in the United Kingdom, while the imperial stouts sell well in the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Galway Bay Brewery at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you will mainly find IPAs from Galway Bay, complemented by a stout. The strength runs from 4.5 to 7.8 percent and the beers come in 33, 40 and 44 cl. The range changes, so check this page to see what is in stock right now.
On Untappd, Disco Paradiso, Corner Club, Afterglow, Ostara, Althea and Full Sail, among others, score high. According to the brewery, Althea is a session beer, and so a logical start if you want to get to know Galway Bay.
Drink hoppy IPAs as fresh as possible and cold, around 6 to 8 °C, because hops lose aroma quickly. A stout or a barrel-aged beer you can drink more slowly and a little warmer, so the flavour can open up.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Galway Bay Brewery come from?
Galway Bay comes from Ireland. The main production is in Oranmore, close to Galway, on the west coast. The brewery started in 2009 as the brewpub The Oslo in Salthill.
What kind of beer does Galway Bay Brewery make?
Mainly modern craft styles such as hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, sour beers and barrel-aged stouts, alongside traditional ales. At Hoptimaal the range is mainly IPAs, with a stout alongside.
What is Of Foam and Fury from Galway Bay?
A double IPA in the style of Californian beers of around 8 percent. Chris Treanor brewed it in 2013 and the brewery still makes it.
