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"Biertourist":2od1jsvl wrote: But your whole argument was based on the assumption that if a microbrewery doesn't compete on price they can't be successful ;[/quote:2od1jsvl]
No, I was only really talking about O'Hara's and their stout specifically.

"Biertourist":2qtlefvz wrote: Growing craft breweries that expand their size, the number of people they employ locally, and their export market (aka the amount of money that they convince people in other countries to bring into the local Irish economy) are the type of breweries that should be DESIRED and represent an ideal to be lived up to, IMO.
[/quote:2qtlefvz]

Hear hear, Adam.

"Biertourist":25560h0x wrote: -I'd like to know your definition of craft beer[/quote:25560h0x]

I don't define it, the Revenue define it as 20,000 HLPA. (My tongue was firmly in my cheek btw)

"Biertourist":25560h0x wrote: [Edit] Read that they're literally half way to losing their legal standing as a "micro" but there's several orders of magnitude of difference between that definition and the rest of the "macros" on this island and the "super market beer vs. micro brewery" comment still requires clarification.[/quote:25560h0x]
"Requires clarification"? What's this, boards.ie? <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

To the best of my knowledge O'Hara's sell more supermarket label beer than own label, at least up until a few years ago.

BTW, this whole argument is basically what I've been told by two publicans: O'Hara's stout has to compete on price with Guinness for them to stock it. I agree, that's all.

What this debate points out is that if anybody here has ideas of setting up a brewery (because they love brewing beer),you must have a clear business plan. If you dont like the idea of running a business, (sales, delivery,s, getting paid,
vat returns, excise returns, employment law, health and safety law,customer relations,you get the idea).
O'Hara,s business plan seems to be working for them,we see that they have managed to stay in business for a while now and have also expanded capacity.

&amp;quot;agnosticdave&amp;quot;:6y6kx85l wrote: Great discussion and a real eye opener regarding the politics of pubs and the business end of things.

I live in Rathvilly, Carlow and I can get Carlow beer in 2 off licences in Tullow, our nearest big town but it's not available in any of the pubs.

However, coming back to a point thebeernut made, in Supervalu they have placed a couple of signs next to the Carlow beer saying, 'Local beer, supporting local jobs' or something to that effect. the result of this has been that if I don't make it down there before 6 on a Friday all the IPA is gone!
[b:6y6kx85l]So, I definitely think people will buy it, ask for it and support it [u:6y6kx85l][i:6y6kx85l][size=150:6y6kx85l][color=#FF0000:6y6kx85l]IF[/color:6y6kx85l][/size:6y6kx85l][/i:6y6kx85l][/u:6y6kx85l] they know about it[/b:6y6kx85l].[/quote:6y6kx85l]

Nail on the head there, this revolution will have to be demand led, just like the food one has been. Short of a euro millionaire setting up a brewery the marketing budget just doesn't exist though so what you need is a messiah. Food got Jamie Oliver, who will save beer?