Tigín Beer Menu Thoughts
February 28, 2008 11:01 am RestaurantsIf you got your hands on this week’s RFT, you had a chance to read Ian’s review of Tigín, a new Irish pub located in downtown St. Louis. Ian touched briefly on the beer menu, but I thought I would delve into it a bit deeper. Now, one quick disclaimer, I have not yet visited Tigín, I’m only commenting on the beer menu as I see it.
As this is an Irish pub, seeing beers such as Guinness, Harp, Bass and Newcastle on draught doesn’t bother me that much. In fact, I’d be almost insulted if an Irish bar didn’t carry them. Hell, I don’t even mind seeing Budweiser on draught, this is St. Louis after all. But that bottle list is pretty awful. Heineken? Miller Genuine Draft? Smirnoff? Corona?
I realize that this location is near the Edward Jones Dome and so they’re going to be seeing a lot of tailgating and conventioneers but does that really mean you need to carry both MGD and Miller Lite? Do we really need a tap handle of Bud and Bud Light? I’m not so hoity toity to think that every beer needs to be a craft product, but do we really need to double or triple up on similar styles? I guess for a chain restaurant it’s impressive to see things such as Lindeman’s Framboise, Duvel and Chimay, but Ian’s comparison to Applebee’s isn’t too far off.
In their defense Tigín claims to serve the best glass of Guinness in St. Louis due to their Nitrogen/CO2 mixture. I’d argue that 39 degrees is a bit too cold for Guinness, but I applaud them for trying to keep some semblance of temperature control for beer, something that is lacking in even some of the best beer bars in St. Louis.
I plan on visiting Tigín in the near future, but it looks like I’ll probably be sticking to a Guinness.
Tags: beer menu, irish pub, tigin
Paul :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 11:24 am
I don’t think it has anything to do with being hoity toity. I’m pretty sure an authentic Irish Pub in Ireland does’t have a bud light tap handle. Okay I understand were in an A-B town and some restaurants think you have to serve it blah blah blah, then have the bottles behind the bar and poor it into a glass.
scotty p :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
You guys would be shocked to know that Budweiser is a top selling beer in ireland and england. Everyone over there loves it. I saw it everywhere in huge displays. Then again, they also drink Stella the way the young kids here flock to bud light. It’s the “go-to” beer.
As far as Tigin goes, the location just sucks. I think it was originally supposed to be located in the central west end. I went to Tigin once to watch a soccer match and I applaud them for their tv set ups. However, traveling downtown can be a pain. The beer selection is typical for a typical Irish bar. If I want authentic, you can find me at the Scottish Arms. Hands down my favorite for selection and atmosphere in St Louis.
Matt T :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
Irish-themed bars in the US have long been a crap shoot regarding (what passes for) authenticity. I think it’s actually gotten better in recent years, with many places being forced to offer at least some Old World eats and drinks. How many McPaddy O’Herlihy’s have we all been in over the years that only serve burgers and BMC?
That said, I think I’ll pass on Tigin, but then, the concept wasn’t developed to attract me.
Wicket :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
I wonder if I can find a place that serves Smirnoff on tap? That would a real authentic Irish pub.
Annie :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
heck, if you want authentic…O’Malley’s on Lemp and Cherokee. All the boys from Ireland hang there. Straight up Irish with every pint of Guinness you drink. At least one fight a night and a head butt. That is authentic!
Annie :
Date: February 28, 2008 @ 9:57 pm
oh..and they do have the best black and white pudding in town (except for the pudding at my house_ I haven’t been anywhere here where it is remotely as good as Tigin.
Paul :
Date: February 29, 2008 @ 9:29 am
Annie has the right idea O’Malleys is a great Irish pub!
dan george :
Date: February 29, 2008 @ 9:38 am
When I went to Japan a while back, I thought it was funny that the authentic British and Irish pubs all had a full line up of the BMC’s. I didn’t realize until I got to Ireland last spring how authentic the Japanese pubs were.
Virtually every pub I visited in Ireland had MGD, Bud, Carlsberg, and of course Guinness…Aside from the PorterHouse in Dublin which had everything but these.
Paul :
Date: February 29, 2008 @ 10:15 am
This is a great book to check out! You can get at the St. louis public library as soon as I’m finished with it. (The parting glass : a toast to the traditional pubs of Ireland / Author: Eric Roth with Eileen McNamara.)
Dave :
Date: February 29, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
The MGD thing cracks me up. I was in a pub in the Scottish highlands once that had two cask ales, and 100+ single malt Scotches. And what were all of the locals drinking? Bottles of MGD. Which cost just as much a pint of real ale.