St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are steeped in tradition. From parades to green clothing to corned beef and cabbage dinners, St. Patrick’s Day is not short on tradition.

A pint of Guinness is another tradition many celebrants can simply not go without on St. Patrick’s Day. Many fans of the beloved stout may insist that Guinness is among Ireland’s greatest exports, but visitors to the Emerald Isle may want to expand their horizons and try a local beer or stop in for a pint at any of the many breweries and brew pubs on the tiny island in western Europe.

• Dungarvan Brewery: Located in southeastern Ireland, Dungarvan Brewery opened in 2010. All Dungarvan beers are brewed in small batches, and each beer is guaranteed to be produced on-site in the Dungarvan Brewery, County Waterford.

• Black’s Brewery: Located along the idyllic Wild Atlantic Way, Black’s Brewery in Kinsale has something for both beer lovers and whiskey drinkers. The brewery was opened by a husband-and-wife team in 2013 and the distillery, which produces gin and rum in addition to whiskey, followed two years later.

• Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company: Established in 2014, Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company has an on-site brewhouse situated just south of Dublin in Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow. Beer lovers interested in the brewing process may be interested to learn that Wicklow Wolf has its very own 10-acre hop farm in Roundwood, County Wicklow.

• Franciscan Well Brewery: Franciscan Well is among the oldest craft breweries in Ireland, having been established in 1998 in Cork City, County Cork. A covered and heated beer garden in the Brew Pub of Franciscan Well, which is based on the site of an ancient Franciscan monastery, makes for an ideal place to sample some beers.

• The White Hag Irish Brewing Company: Located in County Sligo along the Wild Atlantic Way, the White Hag Irish Brewing Company offers a range of beers that should appeal to beer lovers regardless of what their favorite style is. Visitors to Ireland may also be interested in the White Hag’s Hagstravaganza, an annual international brewery festival that features beer brewed all over the globe. Though the event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists may want to take note of the event for future reference.

Ireland is home to many tourist attractions, not the least of which are its many craft breweries that are guaranteed to make any trip to the Emerald Isle that much more enjoyable.