Draught Beer – a marque of ‘establishment’
Irish consumers spent €2.7 billion on beer last year according to Top Line data from AC Nielsen to the middle of last February, an increase of 3% on the annual figure to February 2013 with growth primarily driven by the on-trade, according to Heineken Ireland recently.
Nielsen puts the value of the on-trade beer market up 2.6% to the middle of February with volumes up 1.4%.
But all eyes are on the volume figure for draught beer which shows volume up 1.9% on the previous year to mid-February thus more than fulfilling Heineken Ireland’s musing at the time of its parent company’s annual results earlier this year that, “Signs do exist of some stabilisation of beer volumes within the pub sector”.
This tends to be backed up by the Irish Brewers Association figures which, for the year 2014 as a whole, put the draught beer decline figure at more modest 0.9%. Still, this remains relatively good news in that the slowing decline in this market indicates continued stability too.
“Our statistics in the past had indicated a draught beer volume decrease of 3% to 5% per annum until 2013 when a decline of just over 1% was recorded,” explains the IBA’s Jonathan McDade, “2014 saw a decline of just under 1% which indicates that the decline in the market is continuing to slow down which is a welcome trend.”
Some 59% of all beer sold is sold via the on-trade according to AC Nielsen, with draught forming by far-and-away the lion’s share of on-trade beer sales at over 93% by volume and just under 90% by value.
Within the beer market, Nielsen figures indicate that over 50% of the beer sold in the on-trade is lager by volume. With over 89% of lager’s on-trade volume sold on draught, market share for draught lager in the overall on-trade lager market has grown by 1% on the previous year through volume growth of 3.5%. Draught lager’s overall value share of the on-trade lager market shows a concomitant increase of 1.6% to just under €930,000 through growth of 4.7%.
Draught craft
What’s good about the draught beer market is that despite so much noise being made by the craft beer movement and the plethora of draught countermounts being introduced in pubs and restaurants around the country, the potential for craft remains significant as – despite growth of 30% a year since 2011 – it has yet to make any real inroad into the beer market, being responsible for just 0.5% of total beer volumes.
Nevertheless, the introduction of – and clear consumer interest in – craft beer has led to something of a fillip for the draught beer market.
Jonathan McDade summarises the present health of the draught beer market: “The beer market is continuing to operate in a challenging environment over the past 10 years but it remains Ireland’s favourite drink with over 64.7% of consumption still taking place in pubs in 2013 compared to 61.2% in 2012. “According to statistics compiled by the Drinks Industry Group Ireland, beer continues to outperform other alcohol categories with 47% of the alcohol consumption share”.
Molson Coors launch draught Estrella Damm
Since last month, Molson Coors Ireland has acquired exclusive distribution rights for the award-winning Damm family of beers including Estrella Damm, Daura (Gluten Free) and Inedit beers.
Now, Estrella Damm is available on draught for the first time, with full marketing and sales support from the Molson Coors team. Significant investment will be put behind a full Through-The-Line marketing and advertising campaign to support the launch.
Adding the Estrella Damm draught option alongside the concentrated advertising efforts will drive sales for Molson Coors Ireland’s customers and introduce an appealing solution to the market.
Molson Coors Ireland enjoyed volume growth of 45% and value growth of 46% last year.
“Molson Coors has the most diverse and exciting suite of Irish and International brands designed to drive sales and increase profitability by engaging consumers and offering them an opportunity to explore and experiment with different beer styles,” said Molson Coors Ireland’s Brand Director Robert Blythe, “The portfolio growth adds further choice for both customers and consumers in the craft and world beer categories.”
Grupo Damm holds a market-leading portfolio of brands including the iconic premium lager of Spain and the flagship beer of Grupo Damm, Estrella Damm.
The Irish family of brands now being distributed exclusively by Molson Coors are:
- Estrella Damm – (Bottled and Draught) – The stylish, vibrant, passionate beer, recognised as the premium beer in Spain and “the beer of Barcelona”
- Daura Damm – (Bottled) – The gluten-free and Number One-selling, internationally recognised and multi-award winning beer for coeliacs
- Inedit – (Bottled) – Created through a unique collaboration with the world’s leading award-winning chef Ferran Adrià to pair with food, which has received numerous international awards.
“This expansion is a direct result of Molson Coors listening to the feedback of customers and consumers. It marks a further commitment to the Irish market,“ said Robert Blythe.
Hop House 13
Named after an early 1900s hop store building at St James’s Gate where hops are still stored, Hop House 13 lager is the latest beer from The Brewers Project at St James’s Gate, available exclusively on draught in selected pubs across the island of Ireland.
Hop House 13 is a distinctive golden lager that’s brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and the best of hops from both Australia and the US – Galaxy, Topaz (Aus) and Mosaic (US). It has a sweet fruity aroma, with hints of apricot and peach and subtle malt notes breaking through. On taste, Hop House 13 is full-flavored while still being crisp and hoppy with a refreshing clean finish.
“There’s huge curiosity, interest and demand for new beers among Irish drinkers nowadays and our brewers at the Pilot Brewery are excited to be playing their part in this beer renaissance,” said Head of Innovation for Guinness Nick Curtis-Davis, “We believe Hop House 13 will appeal to mainstream lager drinkers who’re looking for beer with more taste and more character but without compromising on the refreshing taste that lager offers.”
Hop House 13 lager continues the journey that started last September when Guinness celebrated the quality and craft of brewing and its pursuit of more at St James’s Gate with the launch of The Brewers Project.
The Brewers Project is about a group of enterprising brewers on a quest to explore new recipes, re-interpret old ones and collaborate freely to bring exciting beers to life.
McGargles’ Uncle Jim
McGargles Uncle Jim’s Stout from the Rye River Brewing Company is a rich creamy stout and a natural addition to its family of small-batch brews. No brewery in Ireland would be complete without this global Irish favourite.
Uncle Jim’s Stout is a refined and finished stout which has been brewed in the Rye River Brewery in Kilcock, County Kildare, to deliver the full-bodied roast flavour that stout-lovers expect and it has a rich creamy finish which will entice beer drinkers away from other beers bringing them to the lush dark side.
Uncle Jim’s Stout is a smooth, well-rounded stout with the aroma of a subtle roasted coffee and chocolate nose which complement each other effortlessly. The flavour of rich creamy chocolate balances the bitterness from the Herkules hops.
Stout deserves to be shown off in a pint glass and McGargles Uncle Jim’s Stout pours perfectly into its new glass, its shape allowing its customers to fully appreciate the aroma and bouquet. It also showcases its creamy topped dark stout perfectly.
While stout by nature is characterised as being a strong beer, Uncle Jim’s Stout with an ABV of 4.5% delivers the full richness in flavour but not the heaviness sometimes associated with other stouts. It goes perfectly with venison or a rich aromatic beef stew and is currently available on tap in pubs across Ireland and will soon launch in the US and Canadian markets.
Clonmel is on top of the world
The Awards are unique in requiring that all judges currently work as brewers or cider makers, a distinction not lost on Sarah Shimmons, Beer Marketing Manager for C&C Gleeson.
“It’s enormously gratifying to earn recognition from the leading figures ‘at the coal face’ and we’re all extremely proud to have received this award,” she said.
Last year, when the Clonmel brewery developed a new Pilsner-style lager for the modern consumer and named it Clonmel 1650 in recognition of its celebrated roots, expectations were high.
“We’re justly renowned for innovation, coupled with quality, both of which are supremely evident in Clonmel 1650 which comes with a fine pedigree and heritage,” says Sarah, “At 4.3 ABV Clonmel 1650 is a well-balanced and medium-bodied lager with a particularly memorable taste which hovers between ‘slightly fruity’, ‘estery’ and ‘subtly hoppy’.
“Right from the pulling of the first great golden pint of Clonmel 1650 has been a winner with consumers who appreciate authenticity and quite simply, want to enjoy a great pint in their local,” – Sarah Shimmons of C&C Gleeson.
“Right from the pulling of the first great golden pint Clonmel 1650 has been a winner with consumers who appreciate authenticity and quite simply, want to enjoy a great pint in their local. Now they have the added assurance that their favourite lager is one of the best in the world in its category.”
A major international award has set the seal of success on Clonmel 1650, the new Pilsner-style draught lager brewed in Clonmel and launched last Summer across Ireland by C&C Gleeson.
The product’s addition to C&C Gleeson’s portfolio was a determined mark of the company’s commitment to developing characterful innovative beers and ciders based on heritage and authenticity.
Recently that confidence was rewarded with an accolade in The International Brewing Awards, with Clonmel 1650 winning the International Key Lager Gold Medal.
The Awards are unique in requiring that all judges currently work as brewers or cider makers, a distinction not lost on Sarah Shimmons, Beer Marketing Manager for C&C Gleeson.
“It’s enormously gratifying to earn recognition from the leading figures ‘at the coal face’ and we’re all extremely proud to have received this award,” she said.
Last year, when the Clonmel brewery developed a new Pilsner-style lager for the modern consumer and named it Clonmel 1650 in recognition of its celebrated roots, expectations were high.
“We’re justly renowned for innovation, coupled with quality, both of which are supremely evident in Clonmel 1650 which comes with a fine pedigree and heritage,” says Sarah, “At 4.3 ABV Clonmel 1650 is a well-balanced and medium-bodied lager with a particularly memorable taste which hovers between ‘slightly fruity’, ‘estery’ and ‘subtly hoppy’.
“Right from the pulling of the first great golden pint Clonmel 1650 has been a winner with consumers who appreciate authenticity and quite simply, want to enjoy a great pint in their local. Now they have the added assurance that their favourite lager is one of the best in the world in its category.”
