Corporate
Ireland
USA
St Patrick is Coming to a Bar Near You
January 2010 will welcome the launch of two of Strangford Lough Brewing Company’s (SLBC) Irish Ale’s; St Patrick’s Best Ale and Legbiter Ale to the shores of America.
SLBC is an Irish Brewery with a twist. Using the barley grown in St Patrick’s Country, we are producing malt and exporting it to High Falls Operating Company in Rochester where it is finish brewed and distributed to our existing distribution network, bypassing the typical slow growth rate experienced by exporters.
St Patrick’s Best Ale is light and refreshing on the palate, with a classic Irish malt and traditional hop aroma, (ABV of 4.2%.) Legbiter Ale offers a very different flavour with an inviting citrus fragrance, in a brilliant golden ale giving a full but refreshing clean caramel malt bitter finish, (ABV 4.8%.)
Brewers often explain that barley from one area, compared to that grown in a different area or country makes significant difference to the taste of the beer it produces. Strangford Lough Brewing Company are truly offering drinkers the chance to ‘taste the history of Ireland’ in o new craft brews due to hit Irish bars right across North America from January of next year.
This innovative business model has caused quite a stir in Ireland and one of the spin-off’s from this new production method is that it creates jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. We have a network of licensees already set up in 20 states in North America, with other licensees still signing up for the remaining states.
We use a strategy of online viral marketing campaigns to promote our brand with the targeted niche of Irish-Americans and Irish themed bars and taverns. We are currently running an online battle of the bands for Irish music and while the competition itself was very successful attracting over 60 bands, 5200 votes and bringing over 11,000 people to our website in the first voting week of the competition, our big success came in the form of the interest it attracted to the company. “The level of interest shown by Irish bars for the product throughout America has been overwhelming” said Mr Tony Davies, Managing director for SLBC. “They want to know where they can get it and who is supplying it so it has been a pleasure to reply with the answer that we can have it with them by January 2010.”
Although currently focusing on North America, we are also dealing with enquires from Japan, Thailand, France and a number from Europe as interested licensees eagerly await the company’s next move. For a small company from Ireland, we certainly know how to wake the super powers!
If you don’t see Legbiter Ale or St Patrick’s Best Ale on the shelves of your local Irish bar after January, ask for it!
