More than one player in the stout market
The story of Brennan’s Brewery
Brennan’s Brew Co is just the latest chapter in a rich family history and tradition. Brennan’s passion for brewing and love for the pub industry can be traced back four generations, in both Ireland and Britain, to 1905 when a young Patrick J Brennan, from Kildare, Ireland, would become an apprentice brewer in Dublin.
This lineage continued with his son James, learning the art and life of a cooper and then grandson Patrick dedicating his life and career to the hospitality industry spanning over five decades. This created the path for his son Peter, great grandson of Patrick J Brennan, to continue the family tradition and love for beer in bringing Brennan’s Brewery to where it is today.
Peter Brennan of Brennan’s Brew Co speaks to Drinks Industry Ireland about the Irish stout market and the passion he has for the business.
When did you launch Brennan’s Irish Stout and how is it performing?
Brennan’s Irish Stout had success during the lockdown in Ireland, due to Guinness not brewing and shortages resulting in Brennan’s being distributed nationwide throughout Ireland.
With this success we had the opportunity to present our brand to a national historic brewery in the UK called Theakston, in which resulted in us agreeing a licencing agreement with them to rolling out Brennan’s Irish Stout to fantastic stockists nationwide throughout the UK, this is a unheard of opportunity for a small family brand in the industry today.
It’s an exciting year for us, being a small family business with the scramble for business and new product launches after lockdown in the industry in Ireland we decided to hold back on the relaunch of Brennan’s Irish Stout in Ireland until this year, aligned with the opening of our venue at the Clayton Whites Hotel’s former la Spanzia cafe bar on the main street of Wexford Town.
Do you think new brands are reluctant to enter the category because of Guinness’ dominance?
Personally I think consumers nowadays are always looking and willing to try that alternative beer, that’s the one thing we have to thank the Covid lockdown for, it opened the door for other brands to progress, with consumers having to drink at home. We have to always remember that Guinness is Guinness, it is a historical Irish institution and we can only thank Guinness for their domination within the stout market, it gives us the opportunity to be that alternative stout.
How is stout performing in the Irish market at present?
Stout is always a high performer in Ireland with Guinness being the obvious leader in the category. Let us not forget stout was looked at an old man’s drink, which I remember was a worry for Guinness many years ago, but credit to them they reinvented it with fantastic marketing which can only help other brands and with that help we are noticing more, especially recently, that stout is being drank by that younger consumer men and women, which is great to see and encouraging for the future of stout category and for up and coming brands such as Brennan’s Irish Stout.
Being a small brand owner it’s important to keep calm, take it one day at a time, be stable and progress with what you are doing and not what other brands are doing, don’t try and beat the big players in the industry, respect and work with them when you have an opportunity.
Can you tell me about your day-to-day job?
To us Brennan’s Irish stout is one of the family, it’s not a day job, it’s our life, We like to think we are a bit different giving a personal touch with a family feel, we work in all areas of the business from developing partnerships, marketing to product development. We have been brought up in the industry and it is a honour to have our Brennan’s Irish Stout on publican’s bars, more importantly we know how hard it is for the publican, it’s a hard industry, so directly communicating, helping and promoting our consumers and stockists on a day to day basis is an important part of our day.
How many people are involved in the production of Brennan’s Irish Stout?
We are a small family husband and wife team (Peter & Bernadette Brennan), with our children now taking an interest, but we work with and are supported by fantastic and hugely experienced people within the industry from around the world. The support and advice we receive from our partners such as Theakstons is invaluable with our progression and future within an ever changing and competitive industry.
Do you think the future of the stout market is bright?
Very much so, for us we are excited for the future, with our new venue opening in Wexford town, our relaunch in the Irish market and this year we already have partnerships happening globally.
The industry is constantly changing and in the last couple of years we have seen a lot of new stouts enter into the market, which can only help brand awareness, especially with the consumer being more open to trying the alternative stout.
Bridging the gap between stout and craft beer
Named after the famous Cork landmark Shandon Bell Tower, or better known locally as the ‘Four Faced Liar’, Franciscan Well Shandon Stout continues to grow in popularity in the craft stout category. The wider category saw considerable growth in 2023. In the last quarter, it recorded a 12% year-on-year volume growth (CGA, November 2023), making it the best performing segment within the already buoyant Irish craft beer industry.
First brewed in the Franciscan Well Brewery, Co Cork in1999, Shandon Stout remains a draft-only stout in Ireland and export markets including the UK and Spain. Tall and dark, it bridges the gap between stout and craft and is becoming a category favourite amongst those looking for an authentic, locally produced alternative to the more run of the mill traditional stouts.
According to Franciscan Well’s brand in channel manager, Goretti Bracken, “We anticipate that Franciscan Well’s Shandon Stout and the wider craft stout category will continue to perform strongly in 2024 and beyond. Consumers are becoming more discerning in what they drink. They want to expand their palette beyond the traditional staples of years gone by.
“Franciscan Well’s Shandon Stout is part of our core range of brands, alongside Chieftain IPA, Well Hazy, and Rebel Red. Shandon Stout bridges the gap between the much-loved traditional stouts of old and the relentless innovation and creativity within the Irish craft sector. It is brewed with the finest natural ingredients and is additive-free. Now is an exciting time for the craft stout category. As we plan for the year ahead, we look forward to continuing to invest in growing the Shandon Stout brand in 2024 and beyond.”
Slowing things down
Founded in 2016, Whiplash started as a weekend project making one-off beers. It quickly went full time to keep up with demand, eventually leading to Whiplash building their own custom designed brewery in Ballyfermot. The brewery produces both modern and traditional style beers, including Slow Life Nitro Stout.
Slow Life Nitro Stout weighs in at 4.5% ABV and the drinker is immediately greeted with notes of medium roast coffee and dark fruity chocolate on the nose. On tasting, it’s full, soft and silky with a rounded, balanced bitterness and plenty of malt character. The finish is sweet with a moderate bitterness and a vanishing finish, inviting you back for more. The recipe was developed by the head brewer using high quality malts and hops, and was designed to be a delicious stout that was complex in flavour, while not being challenging. Slow Life is best enjoyed at around 6 degrees centigrade and poured in one part.
Slow Life is available in both Stainless Steel and KegKegs from Four Corners https://fourcorners.ie/
See more at www.whiplashbeer.com and www.instagram.com/whiplashbeer
