is a company founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1989 by cousins Liam La Hart and Oliver Hughes. La Hart, a publican, and Hughes, a barrister, had established Harty’s microbrewery in 1982, where they pursued their stated beer-making mission: 100% Irish, 0% chemicals. They were joined at Porterhouse in 1994 by architect Frank Ennis. The initial plan was simply to develop a brewpub and Dublin’s first microbrewery, but the business gradually expanded to include a boutique hotel and several pubs in Ireland that have been successfully replicated in London, England and Shanghai, China. Their brewpub location in Dublin’s trendy Temple Bar district remains a center of local nightlife. The Porterhouse brewing and business model flourished between 1996 and 2008, when Ireland was experiencing rapid economic growth through state initiatives such as tax incentives and increased foreign investment, transforming it from one of Europe’s poorer countries into one of its wealthiest. Over the same period the nation also experienced a significant and enduring craft brewing boom. For now, the boom economy has receded in Ireland, but Porterhouse beers have continued to gain wide acclaim.

All Porterhouse beers are brewed in Dublin using hops from the United States, New Zealand, Germany, England, and the Czech Republic. Locally sourced, Irish barley and a Yorkshire-origin yeast strain contribute to concentrated flavors, aromas, and textures, particularly in their notably characterful Irish stout, Wrasslers.

The Porterhouse Brewery uses direct-fired kettles, which Hughes maintains are “expensive but essential if you want the best results,” and produces classically Irish styles such as plain, porter, and red ale from traditional recipes. See direct firing. For instance, fresh Carlingford oysters are added to Porterhouse Oyster Stout for an indefinable but complementary briny balance to the coffee notes arising from its use of roasted barley. Porterhouse has also invested in an Irish whiskey distillery in Dingle, County Derry.

See also ireland.