Richie Hamilton – Hope Beer
Teaching philosophy at TCD is perhaps an unlikely background for a head brewer, but that’s exactly what Richie Hamilton did in a previous life. Teaching English as a Foreign Language and working as a delivery driver also feature in his colourful past.
Positive and enthusiastic, Richie’s genuine curiosity means he has always had hobbies aplenty. In his youth in Skerries he enjoyed everything from woodwork and gardening to electronics and soldering. Cooking, baking and even sewing were high on his radar – he just loved making things and working out how everything is put together.
He chose philosophy as his primary degree, studying in Trinity College and, like most students found drinking beer was a natural pastime. It wasn’t a big step from there to having a go at actually brewing beer. While studying for a Masters in Edinburgh, where craft beer was more established than in Dublin, an idle investment of a tenner in a ‘How to Brew’ book turned out to be a seminal moment. It wasn’t until he was back in Ireland the next year that he actually read the book and reckoned the process didn’t look too difficult. He dipped a toe into home brewing and the die was cast.
The early days were quite basic to say the least and Richie describes building his own equipment and literally putting a pot on the stovetop. He’d caught the brew bug however and soon joined an informal Craft Beer Club and began experimenting with styles and taste. He proved to have quite a knack for brewing and won some national competitions for his efforts. His first job in the brewing world was as a part time delivery driver, stocking 20 or 30 pubs around Dublin. It was a good way to meet publicans and like minded people.
While teaching in Trinity (a job which he loved) Richie also pursued his twin side careers of home brewing and working in the industry. Eventually he literally fell into a career in brewing, hearing about ‘real’ jobs through the grapevine. The first few were great from a learning perspective but not very secure. He met some inspirational brewers along the way and credits them with sharing generously sharing their knowledge and helping Richie hone his skills.
His move to Hope Beer came in 2019, and he literally hasn’t looked back since. The perfectly time opportunity arose exactly as Richie was looking for a change, and when he was ready to take on the responsibilities involved in being their Head Brewer. The Howth Junction based craft brewery had set up in 2016 and has gone from strength to strength since, with a core range of five beers and a steady succession of seasonal and limited edition beers in a variety of styles. The non-alcoholic Hop Off has been a resounding success, and one Richie is particularly proud of.
Most of the Hope Beer team are Fingallians and a many of the beers have unusual names linked to stories embedded in the rich local culture – Hop-On Session IPA, Handsome Jack IPA and Passifyoucan Pale Ale for example. As to the stories behind them … well you’ll have to ask Richie about that.
Visit Hope Beer (click here)
Book their tour (click here)
