Irish beer is looking for a revamp and it has the backing of three leading brewing companies in doing so. Diageo, Heineken and Inbev – Ireland’s three leading brewing companies – have come together under the Irish Brewers Association to launch a campaign aimed at encouraging Irish consumers to revaluate their perceptions of Ireland’s favourite alcoholic beverage.
The campaign, which will be rolled out over the next three years, will initially focus on beer as the perfect accompaniment to food.
Overall, the campaign is intended, to inform the consumer that beer is a product with a diverse range of styles and flavours.
The three-year campaign will include guest visits from international Beer and Food experts as well as Beer and Food evenings to be held around the Country. Early campaign initiatives include the development of a guide to enjoying beer which is being distributed to customers through Irish pubs and off licences.
A dedicated campaign website has also been created (www.beernaturally.ie) where visitors can learn about the history of beer and brewing, the many beer styles on offer today, beer and food matching, tips on how to enjoy the perfect beer, brewing facts and lots more.
Beer has been enjoyed in almost every country in the world since man began farming. Here in Ireland, we have a rich brewing tradition with beer being brewed since 2500BC when the first settlers arrived on our shores. Today, Ireland is home to some of the worlds most famous breweries and the Beer Naturally campaign will celebrate Ireland’s rich brewing heritage and the quality of our beers.
With so many styles, flavours and aromas available in Ireland today, the Beer Naturally campaign will encourage Irish consumers to explore this new world of beers and make beer their drink of choice.
Irish Brewers Association Senior Executive, Stephen Lynam said; “The pub plays a vital role in economic and social terms in both urban and rural Ireland and the Beer Naturally campaign seeks to support our trade by educating their customers on the many different styles and flavours available today.”
The Irish brewing industry employs over 2,000 people directly and up to 100,000 indirectly. The sector contributes some 960 million euro to the economy in tax and duty each year. 63% of beer consumed in Ireland is manufactured locally.
