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Wicklow Wolf Brewery The Harbour Bar

'Excise relief is the shot in the arm needed to get the Irish craft beer industry going'

The Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company says yesterday’s Budget announcement was unexpected, but welcome.

ONE MIGHT THINK that it was only ‘hipsters’ who enjoyed the odd craft beer that were rejoicing yesterday when there was an unexpected announcement in the Budget.

The excise relief ceiling is to be increased for microbreweries from 20,000 hectolitres to 30,000 hectolitres.

To be fair, when craft beer first started to become popular, many got a bit of stick about drinking it – especially with the use of the word hipster but there’s a huge following for it now – which can’t be denied.

It’s an industry that has been displaying some impressive growth over the last year with microbreweries popping up all over the country. And the popularity of craft beer is spreading to wider circles with many wanting more than their generic beer, which is why it’s now a lot more available in mainstream pubs.

Industry on the rise 

The Finance Minister Michael Noonan obviously knows an industry on the rise when he sees one, and apparently, the Irish craft beer industry is just that.

The Irish craft beer industry has been going from strength to strength, with many breweries selling around the country as well as exporting their product abroad. Not to mention that it is also creating jobs, often in many rural areas, where industry growth is slow or at a standstill.

So what does this mean for the average microbrewery? A lot actually.

Quincy Fennelly, one side of the newly opened Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company said:

It really is fantastic news for us. It means that breweries can aggressively grow and not have to look over their shoulders about paying the  full excise.

Opening in Bray over a month ago, it is the first brewery to open in the town for over a 100 years.

ww Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company

Tom's Beer Club - Mobile Uploads | Facebook Wicklow Wolf Brewery recently hosted the local beer club - Tom's Beer Club. Tom's Beer Club / Facebook Tom's Beer Club / Facebook / Facebook

“There was actually a big fear that they were going to do away with the excise altogether, which would have finished us and been a disaster for the craft beer industry in Ireland,” he said.

Fennelly says that they are just one of a number of new breweries opening around the country. “I reckon in the next three years there will be at least 100 microbreweries in Ireland. I think that will be the threshold,” he said.

Boost

He said the excise relief was really the “shot in the arm” that got the microbreweries up and running.

Fennelly, who spent a lot of time in Colorado, the mecca for craft beers, said he decided to set up a brewery with his friend Simon Lynch, a horticulturist. “We own our own hops farm in Roundwood, we had complimentary skills, so we said, why not, we’d give it a go”.

Mobile Uploads - Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company | Facebook Hops farm in Roundwood. Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company / Facebook Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company / Facebook / Facebook

Mobile Uploads - Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company | Facebook Hops in the brewery. Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company / Facebook Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company / Facebook / Facebook

“Since opening a month ago, we have tripled our capacity to meet demand. It really is going from strength to strength and with announcements like the excise today, we would hope to be exporting by the middle of next year,” said Fennelly.

He added that the Government clearly saw that the industry would benefit from their help, adding that they are all about growing indigenous industry and jobs, which is what the industry is all about.

The Harbour Bar / YouTube

Beer Club: How craft beer is becoming the new wine>

Read: (Micro)brewing up a storm: How Ireland’s craft beers are making their mark>

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27 Comments
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    Mute Emmet Gilgunn
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    Oct 15th 2014, 7:30 AM

    Its a bit patronising to say that only hipsters can rejoice at a initiative that supports a growing domestic market for a quality product.

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    Mute Cóilín O'Toole
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    Oct 15th 2014, 8:06 AM

    Says a lot about the writer.

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    Mute Abigail Mai Bernard
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    Oct 15th 2014, 8:14 AM

    You said it better than I could have, but my thoughts exactly. To then go on and say that craft beer ‘gets a lot of stick’ just seems to reinforce the ignorance shown… A growing industry which will provide jobs and a desirable product that generates interest from all kinds of people should be applauded, not put into the ‘niche’ box.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Oct 15th 2014, 9:18 AM

    Totally agreed, the writers condescending comments were baffling. As a keen home brewer myself I am delighted at this encouragement of the resurgence of an ancient native craft.

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    Mute Christina Finn
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    Oct 15th 2014, 10:32 AM

    Hi Emmet, I am actually a HUGE fan of craft beer – the industry, the new breweries giving it a go and of course, the beer itself. I wasn’t trying to stereotype, but when anything about craft beer is written people often seem to jump in with hipster comments, talking about the expense etc which takes away from this emerging sector which is good news for Irish business. I was trying to deal with that automatic assumption by dealing with it head on in the article and pointing out that actually, craft beer is enjoyed by much wider circles than just your average hipster. Perhaps I did not make the point clear enough. Anyway, it’s a good news story for these businesses, so thanks for reading.

    Christina

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    Mute Rob Ward
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    Oct 15th 2014, 11:38 AM

    Hi Christina,

    What you accomplished is called the ‘Streisand Effect.’ You called attention to something (hipsters) by not trying to call attention to it (by saying more than hipsters drink it.). If you didn’t want the subject of hipsters to be included in the craft beer article, it’s best instead not to mention the word at all. You could have just said ‘Craft Beer drinkers’ or ‘The Craft Beer industry’ instead and just talked about the benefits of this new budget change to the growth of an indigenous market, or that people who enjoy it may get to enjoy it more, have better variety, or even see a possible reduction in price as a result.

    If there were people, or still are people, who slap a ‘hipster’ label on craft beer and don’t try or participate in it for that reason (which has nothing to do with the beer itself), catering to them in the article takes away from the article’s value. If people want to be ignorant or offer that kind of ignorant comment, let them. It says more about them than anything else. If there are people who don’t like Craft Beer because they like a different beer, that’s fine too. This news isn’t for them either. You can write an article about a good piece of news for the Craft Beer industry without participating in the culture war of beer and inadvertently placing all craft enthusiasts on the ‘hipster’ side.

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    Mute Cóilín O'Toole
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    Oct 15th 2014, 8:04 AM

    “To be fair, craft beer gets a lot of stick…”

    What a stupid thing to say. If people want to support a local brewery while drinking better beer that’s their business.

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    Mute Billy Kennedy
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    Oct 15th 2014, 9:21 AM

    I think this is a bit of a bias on the part of the journalist. Either she personally likes craft beer and gets a bit of stick, or doesn’t understand why people like it. My 64 year old Da drinks the local brew, and he’s hardly hipster.

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    Mute ISBA
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    Oct 15th 2014, 7:46 AM

    It’s a wonder Diageo haven’t argued Illegal State Aid to the Craft Breweries……..

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    Mute John Xavier
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    Oct 15th 2014, 10:12 AM

    Diageo has destroyed brewing in Ireland, they’ve shut down all the breweries in the historic brewing towns of Kilkenny and Dundalk, 2 towns that had rich brewing traditions for hundreds of years, they’d shut down James Gate tomorrow if they thought they could, they previously said they wanted to shut it down but back peddled after the back lash.
    I say bring on the micro breweries and let the Irish people get behind indigenous industries and take pride consuming local products once again.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Oct 15th 2014, 12:02 PM

    Well said John, and bring on the micro distilleries like Dingle producing quality products and jobs to the Irish drinks industry.

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    Mute ISBA
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    Oct 16th 2014, 12:57 AM

    Well said John, same applies to motor trade and beef processing sector. Consolidation across every sector is being promoted, aided and abetted by successive governments, always at the expense of ordinary citizens. Enda’s sea change in culture and the rest has mysteriously failed to materialise.

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    Mute Fergus Fring
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    Oct 15th 2014, 10:07 AM

    The word ‘Hipster’ does get bandied about a lot to be fair. I was drinking a coffee outside Grogans the other day and some young fella called me a hipster because I was wearing a Beanie!
    I took my coffee and Typewriter inside after that.

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    Mute Niall Waters
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    Oct 15th 2014, 8:51 AM

    The word hipster used to apply to a select sub-group that existed in Williamsburg and Shoredtich. It now, apparently, applies to anyone who even slightly diverges from behaving in the most obvious manner.
    It is the hallmark of a lazy journalist who can’t be bothered using a different word to describe people.

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    Mute skin flint
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    Oct 15th 2014, 7:36 AM

    So, we need to really boost the craft beer industry..BUT, dont drink more than 2 a week…and dont buy it after 10pm OR before 12 on a sunda before mass, oh and dont drive to the pub. In summary, please pay for alcohol..just dont drink it.

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    Mute Bill
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    Oct 15th 2014, 7:57 AM

    Very true skin flint plus the publicans want you to drink only on their premises where they will ensure you drink alcohol sensibly !! so no hiding under the stairs supping your home brew now please

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    Mute Michael O'Donnell
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    Oct 15th 2014, 9:23 AM

    I have no idea how craft beer and “hipsters” became associated in this article. In my opinion, locally produced micro-brewed beer is by definition better quality, has less addtiives, travels less miles to reach the customer, returns profits to entrepreneurs rather than shareholders and has diverse and intense flavour. They may be a bit more expensive than indstrial beers, but in our binge drinking society, a move towards quality over quantity can only be better for society surely.
    By the logic of the author, you could apply the same logic to people who buy locally produced veg and meat. Are farmer’s markets therefore for hipsters?
    Craft beer gets a lot of stick? Please explain…..

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    Mute Triona Hayes
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    Oct 15th 2014, 9:49 AM

    Would it have killed her to say ‘craft beer enthusiasts’?
    Just sent her an email anyway. Although I’m sure I’m not the only one.

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    Mute Phil Gill
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    Oct 15th 2014, 11:06 AM

    “Many got alot of stick about drinking it”

    em I didn’t, does that mean all my friends are hipsters? eeek, what do I do, is there a cream I can use?

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    Mute Mark Cullen
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    Oct 15th 2014, 1:02 PM

    Love craft beer, support entrepreneurs and enjoy a different level of flavour, everyone wins.

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    Mute John Xavier
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    Oct 15th 2014, 1:26 PM

    Bring forth the Micro Brewery revolution, lets make brewing beer a local craft once again. Death to Diageo, Heineken and the rest!!

    Just tried this once yesterday picked it up in Supervalu, Its from a Brehon Micro Brewery in Iniskeen Co Monaghan.. Killaney Red – Top Marks!!

    https://www.facebook.com/brehonbrewhouse

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    Mute Eoin Dixon Murphy
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    Oct 15th 2014, 12:16 PM

    That Wicklow Wolf beer is fantastic stuff. Great news for Irish breweries all around the country. Keep up the good work lads!

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    Mute Adam Mc Cue
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    Oct 15th 2014, 4:04 PM

    Im not a hipster…I like craft beer because it tastes ten times nicer than any of that Heineken or Carlsberg etc crap that fills most pubs

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    Mute Michael Tynan
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    Oct 15th 2014, 12:43 PM

    Home grown industry. No boom or bust like the building industry. Grow the the barley and hops in Ireland,make brewing jobs how bad. Cmon the Irish whiskey industry. No double Irish need apply!!!

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    Mute Daragh O'Mahony
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    Oct 15th 2014, 1:34 PM

    Serious comment… What’s a hipster?

    As far as I can gather, you need a beard and to drink craft beer… Is that the only requirement?

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Oct 15th 2014, 12:07 PM

    Indeed there is Phil, its called called Murphys gin flavour ice-cream.

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    Mute John Wheatley
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    Oct 17th 2014, 4:38 PM

    Are there any craft brewers that cater for those of us who love ales and stouts of a traditional Irish or British character? I like the odd IPA or American pale ale but am a bit sick of all of these overly-hopped trendy American ales. Same goes for the imperial and chocolate stouts. Have had enough of them!

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