United Nations of Beer

Finnegans Irish Amber

by Bill Cassidy
(Beer Delegate, MN, USA)

Finnegan's Irish Amber

Potatoes. Hard to get much more Irish than that. As the bottle claims, it's as Irish as it gets. (I'm sure the folks at Guinness would have a word or two about that statement.) I've a bit of Irish blood in me. I'm a sucker for some corned beef and cabbage. Why not try a beer made from potatoes?

See the thing is, I'm a bit of a Rheinheitsgebot snob. Beer, true beer has four and only four possible ingredients: water, yeast, hops and a malted grain (barley or wheat). End of story. Any beer adding anything else is compensating for something and gets filed into my own category of "A beer-like beverage".

Despite my deep-seated snobbery on this point, Finnegan's Irish Amber works. It's actually a delicious little beer. It drinks easily and smooth, which is perfect for the summer barbecue and picnic season. And yes, you can taste the potatoes, especially toward the end of the swallow where they lend an earthy and even sweetly starchy aftertaste. Its only failing is that, beyond the potato taste, there isn't much else to say about it.

Wait, what's this you tell me? (The potatoes are talking to me!) Drinking Finnegan's helps a good cause? You mean a better cause than my own beer-time enjoyment?

You mean they're a non-profit? They help the homeless and working poor in Minnesota?

In truth, then, there is a bit more to say. Finnegan's was started by some socially-minded beer aficionados who wanted to do right by their community while partaking of their favorite beverage.

100 per cent of the profits from Finnegan's Irish Amber are returned to the community via the Finnegan's Community Fund.

As their website claims: "Since first becoming profitable in 2003, Finnegan's and its sister non-profit company, The Finnegan’s Community Fund (formerly the Spud Society) has raised and donated over $50,000 back to community programs in Minnesota." I can drink to that!

To see some of the work they do and programs they support visit their website. And for those outside of Minnesota looking to be a little more socially responsible with your beer drinking dollar, it's available online from a local purveyor, Surdyk's.

So order yourself a Finnegan's Irish Amber, because it's a good thing to do that also tastes good.