Irish Craft Beer – Celebrating Growth in a Time of Recession
Dublin to play host to Ireland’s Craft Beer Week and Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival in September
The Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival returns to RDS, Dublin from 5-8th September 2013. A celebration of Irish craft brewing, cider making and whiskey distilling coupled with live music and fabulous Irish artisan food stalls. The festival will fall in line with Irish Craft Beer Week which will run from August 30thonwards throughout independent pubs and off-licences nationwide.
Industry news
The Irish craft beer industry is thriving in a time of national recession, with over half of the existing 37 breweries/cider makers having been set up since 2009. Within the craft beer sector alone, industry sales rose by 42.5% last year and are expected to increase by at least a further 35% this year. This rise was experienced in both the domestic (55%) and the international (25%) market places despite an overall decrease in domestic alcohol and beer sales. Despite this being an industry which owns approximately 0.4% of the Irish beer market, it is a growth industry which is expanding on a daily basis and simultaneously increasing its following and interest levels from the Irish consumer.
The festival
Featuring approximately 25 craft beverage producers, beer and cider, the festival is expected to attract over 8,000 attendees throughout the weekend. This year, the team is looking forward to showcasing niche brands, new products and pipe-line products, as well as providing craft-beer and cider lovers with food and drinks pairing advice and the opportunity to meet come of the up and coming brewers at the first ever Irish nano-bar.
Co-Founder of the Irish Craft Beer Festival, Seamus O’Hara, says, “The Irish craft beer industry is booming at the moment. Year-on-year growth is at an all-time high and the interest from the public in our craft and trade is making this sector a great one to be involved in at the moment. Craft beer and cider making is about so much more than a beverage. The complexities of flavours and the intricacy of the brewing process make it possible to create the myriad of different products – all unique and interesting in their own right. We are all thoroughly looking forward to opening the doors to the RDS on the 5thof September to show Ireland what we have been up to for the past year!”
Breweries featuring at the festival include, but are not limited to, O’Hara’s, Dungarvan, White Gypsy, Eight Degrees, Trouble, Galway Hooker, West Kerry and Dingle. Cider makers include but are not limited to McIvors, Stonewell, Armagh and Tempted?.
For the first time, the festival will open on a Thursday evening, offering attendees the opportunity to come early and experience some of the showcasing festival brews as well as new product launched. Trade attendees are offered the opportunity to attend throughout the weekend at any point free of charge. For more information on how to avail of this, please log onto http://www.
For more information on the festival, log onto http://www.