Roadworks Pale Ale

Brewed by Roadworks Brewing Company (Station Works Brewery/Pearse Lyons Brewery)
Style: Pale Ale
Dundalk, Ireland

Pearse Lyons (who unfortunately passed away last year, 2018) from Dundalk, was from a family steeped in the brewing tradition and was the first Irishman to achieve a Masters Degree of Science in Brewing Science from the British School of Malting and Brewing in 1968. While at university (UCD, getting a first class honours degree in biochemistry), he did an internship at Guinness and later worked as a biochemist for Irish Distillers, makers of the well known and loved Jameson whiskey. So you could say he was well versed in the craft.

He set up the company Alltech in his garage in 1980 while living in Kentucky for work purposes. Lyons used his fermentation expertise to helping brewers. He then moved into agri business, more particularly, animal feed and animal nutrition. Overtime Alltech has become one of the fastest growing companies in the global animal health industry, continually making a tidy profit year in year out, and with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion. Not bad for the fella who got a 10,000 Dollar loan to start off in his garage!

But not to forget the roots of the industry, Lyons jumped at the chance to purchase Lexington Brewing Company in 1999, and over time he managed to resurrect the brewing and distilling tradition of Lexington that dates back to 1794, and produce a successful range of Kentucky Ale beer that have proved popular amongst the drinking masses.

Growing his international alcohol division, Alltech acquired a craft brewery in Northern Ireland (The Station Works Brewery) and also one in England (Cumberland Breweries Ltd), representing a return to his roots as such, and a major expansion into Europe of his successful American brewing division.

With three new breweries under construction in the United States, and a major investment in a new distillery, called Pearse Lyons Distillery in the heart of the Dublin, at the former St James Church where his grandfather is buried, Lyons was set to continue the family history. They also opened a new brewery at the historic site of the old MacArdle Moore Brewery in Dundalk, which will also incorporate the relocation of the Station Works Brewery in Newry, acquired by the company in 2015.

Both of his children work within the family owned business. His daughter, Dr. Aoife Lyons, a licensed clinical psychologist, is global director of educational initiatives and engagement for the company, while his son, Dr. Mark Lyons, is now the president and CEO. Keeping the company in family hands is no mean feat in the cutthroat business of animal health where the vast majority of the industry is indebted to shareholders and the whims of the market.

Not my first beer from this brewery as I tried their Foxes Rock collection, a pale ale and a red ale, both a little disappointing it has to be said.

Review: 500ml bottle of Roadworks Pale Ale: 4.5% vol.

On bottle it says it is made by Roadworks Brewing Company, but when you check online then you get Station Works Brewery and even further a Pearse Lyons Brewery. Very confusing, but it’s brewed for Lidl so that might explain it all!

Either way it comes in a lovely looking bottle with a nice and hip logo and design, of a car, a volkswagen.

On pour I get a cloudy looking golden coloured beer, with a lot of carbonation, quite a good bit actually. A small whitish head appears, and it sticks around too! Good bit of lacing.

Overall a good looking beer, has a very deep appearance, and a nice head and colour to appreciate.

A real IPA type aroma, very nice, spot on with the smell. Getting the citrus, and other fruits and the malts, lovely.

First impressions on the taste is good, for an IPA it is smooth enough for me, soft, clean and crisp on the tongue, the hops gentle and very tasty, not bad.

Coming cold from the fridge, it’s not bad at all. A typical IPA taste to it but on the low level which is nice for us that are not craft beer snobs…….so very manageable!

Hops are present and enjoyable, but not overbearing. A nice beer to sip and enjoy over time, a slow burner, with a wide array of lovely tastes and flavours. The citrus and fruits, the malts, and hops all coming in to round off a nice pleasant full bodied taste.

Will check out again. Pleasantly surprised.