Why no Irish beers in the local off licence!!

MANUTD99

So I was in Centra this afternoon looking to finish off my Sunday day in the pub with a couple of bottles of guinness extra stout bottles.( I knew they wouldnt have my favourite O Hara's Stout). I was drinking Galway Hooker in the pub and was going down a treat

Well the the only Irish label that was on sale in the local centra was cans of mouldy bulmers even though I was less than 5 minutes walk away from the Guinness Brewery itself. The rest of selection was made up of the usual Bud, Heineken, Miller and a massive selection of Eastern Euro Beer. I bought 4 bottles of Lech and drinking it now. Don't find it too bad and is fairly cheap.

Whats is the opinion on these brands and is there any hope for up and coming Irish beers to make the shelf in local Spars/Centra and overtake the massed produced rubbish. I mean it's is not as if Irish Beer is at a low standard and I'm sure Irish Craft Breweries are finding success but to me thats not the point.

Personally I would love to go to my local Spar and buy some O Hara's Stout

Discuss!!

Mr. Loverman

I would imagine lack of shelf space and demand determines what gets stocked.

If hardly anyone is buying the local Irish beers I can't blame them for not stocking them...

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

Bud, Heineken

Brewed in Ireland, so every bit as Irish as Guinness

MANUTD99 wrote: »

is there any hope for up and coming Irish beers to make the shelf in local Spars/Centra and overtake the massed produced rubbish.

Sure. Look at wine. These days you can buy a decent bottle of wine, from a wide selection, in any convenience store. Do you remember what was on those shelves 20 years ago? Crap. What happened? Tastes changed. People went out of their way to find good wine, and as mainstream retailers sought a piece of that action, decent wine became mainstream. It has happened even more recently with coffee: even twelve years ago you'd have been hard pressed to get a decent cup of coffee in Dublin. Now it's everywhere.

Keep drinking the beers you like. Go out of your way to get them, tell other people about them, and eventually you'll find them in more and more places.

MANUTD99

Of course Beernut I know what your saying but I find it frustrating with the lack of quality good value Irish beers in stores. I know they would sell if they were on the shelves.

For example my OH is from Erfurt in Germany. They have a beer called Braugold (not sure of spelling) It tastes like utter sewerage, buts its everywhere in supermarkets, off licences in East Germany. You can't hide from it

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I know they would sell if they were on the shelves.

No you don't. This is beer that would have to be priced the same or higher as the stuff which has mass marketing campaigns behind it, but which gets the same level of marketing as the cheap stuff. Other than the odd novelty bottle, it won't sell without a commitment from the retailer to push it. Mr Heineken Six-Pack won't see it; nor will Ms Whatever's Cheap.

However, things are changing. We've made progress even in the last two or three years. London Pride in Tesco, Hobgoblin in my local Centra. We're getting places. But it'll take time, and it'll take continued purchasing support from the people who want it to happen.

MANUTD99

, Hobgoblin in my local Centra. We're getting places. But it'll take time, and it'll take continued purchasing support from the people who want it to happe

n

That's another point, I was in Super Value on Aston Quay recently and I must admit and take my hat off to them as they have an outstanding selection of beers to choose from but yet I couldnt see many Irish brands. That day in paticular I was looking for Mgraths Irish Red Ale or even O Hara's Ale but didn't see much more than Guinness really. They had beer from China ffs!!!

BeerNut

They have the Clanconnel beers now.

matrim

MANUTD99 wrote: »

That's another point, I was in Super Value on Aston Quay recently and I must admit and take my hat off to them as they have an outstanding selection of beers to choose from but yet I couldnt see many Irish brands. That day in paticular I was looking for Mgraths Irish Red Ale or even O Hara's Ale but didn't see much more than Guinness really. They had beer from China ffs!!!

The only off-licence in city center I've seen with Irish craft beers is the celtic whiskey store on Dawson Street. Otherwise you've to go out of the center to somewhere like redmonds.

There are a couple of places like the Supervalue on Aston Quay and Centra on westland row that have decent selection of beers \ ales.

I would assume that one of the reasons for this is that they get all beer from one distributor and the Irish craft brewers might not go through these distribution centres (i.e. you order directly from the brewer) so they would need to order is separately, which might not be worth the hassle. Someone can correct me on this as it's just a theory I have on why they aren't stocked

MANUTD99

Heres another question.

How has all the Eastern European Lager been easily moved into the local Centra/Spar.

If they could do it why is it not possible for some Irish Breweries to step up into this market.

redlead

Because there is a large population of Eastern Europeans who are buying it. Very few Irish people have ever heard of any of the Irish Beers and they are quite expensive (some of it justafiable) also.

MANUTD99

redlead wrote: »

Because there is a large population of Eastern Europeans who are buying it. Very few Irish people have ever heard of any of the Irish Beers and they are quite expensive (some of it justafiable) also.

Ok accepted.

I bought bottles of 500ml Lech at 2 euro a pop.

Another question? why can't Irish Breweries compete with these prices I mean if the beer is produced here it should be cheaper??

On a recent trip to Barcelona, the local beer Estrella was by far the cheapest and by my accounts the most popular beer in Barcelona!!

Mr. Loverman

MANUTD99 wrote: »

Heres another question.

How has all the Eastern European Lager been easily moved into the local Centra/Spar.

If they could do it why is it not possible for some Irish Breweries to step up into this market.

Eastern European beer is also very good.

Tyskie and Gywice or whatever it's called (jiv-e-its).

MANUTD99

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Eastern European beer is also very good.

Tyskie and Gywice or whatever it's called (jiv-e-its).

Duely noted. I'm finishing of my last bottle of Lech and its very nice.

If I went to Poland or any other country for example Germany am I gonna see a bigger selection of beers from other countries or am I gonna see high quality drinks from my own back yard.

Why can't Irish Breweries get there own beers into local shops ahead of drinks from other countries.

Sofiztikated

MANUTD99 wrote: »

Ok accepted.

I bought bottles of 500ml Lech at 2 euro a pop.

Another question? why can't Irish Breweries compete with these prices I mean if the beer is produced here it should be cheaper??

On a recent trip to Barcelona, the local beer Estrella was by far the cheapest and by my accounts the most popular beer in Barcelona!!

Seriously?

Wage costs, electricity, water rates, raw materials, taxes, and numerous other reasons are why things produced in this country are dearer than things produced in Eastern Europe.

Estrella is the most popular BECAUSE its the cheapest. And similarly its the cheapest because of the quantities purchased. Look at the population differences, without even taking into regard the other differences.

MANUTD99

Wage costs, electricity, water rates, raw materials, taxes, and numerous other reasons are why things produced in this country are dearer than things produced in Eastern Europe.

So these are the reasons why average beers from abroad are being sold above good quality Irish beers?

I'm not being a smart arse in these posts I just cant understand the lack of support Irish Breweries seem to be getting

Sofiztikated

MANUTD99 wrote: »

So these are the reasons why average beers from abroad are being sold above good quality Irish beers?

I'm not smart arse in these posts I just cant understand the lack of support Irish Breweries seem to be getting

These are part of the reasons why good quality Irish Breweries cannot compete on price with beers from Eastern Europe.

Factor in the fact that LOT of people want beer that'll get them drunk, not for the taste.

And a lot of people don't know what a certain beer is like, so if I'm in the offie, and I see 6 Heineken for €10, or 4 Rogues Irish Lager for a similar price, and I don't know if I like Rogues Irish Lager, well I'll get the Heineken because I know what that's like, and I like it. I might not like the Rogues, and then I'm left with 3 beers that I don't like and a tenner shorter.

And add in the power of advertising. Heineken and Budweiser spend millions on advertising. The names are everywhere. McSorleys Irish Black Lager is not.

(I have no idea if Rogues or McSorleys are any good, I've never seen them never mind tasted them, I've gotten them from a quick google for Irish lagers.)

MANUTD99

I am actually gonna make this a project of mine to get more Irish beers in the local shop.

FFS When I was in Oz they didnt know any other beer apart from VB or Carlton existed in the whole entire world

Sofiztikated

I do apologise if I come across as a snarky **** there, I just read them back, and that was not my intention.

MANUTD99

Sofiztikated wrote: »

I do apologise if I come across as a snarky **** there, I just read them back, and that was not my intention.

Not at all man,,no worries

Technocentral

It is strange that most people are only interested in cheap and rubbish beers, when it comes to food most people don't buy easi singles, chicken and ham roll and pot noodles all the time, it is changing slowly though, when I'm out with friends and they buy coors lite or whatever, I suggest they try Budvar for example and they usually agree it's much better, people are brainwashed by multi million euro ad campaigns and it takes ages for them to convert to proper beer. Personally I try to buy irish craft beers in pubs that have them, in ones that don't Budvar is about the only decent choice widely available.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

matrim

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I am actually gonna make this a project of mine to get more Irish beers in the local shop.

FFS When I was in Oz they didnt know any other beer apart from VB or Carlton existed in the whole entire world

It would probably be easier to convince them if it's an off-license rather than a shop but if the owner \ manager is decent he should at least try to source it for you.

If you do get them to get it in remember to let us know where it is so others can enjoy too

Mr. Loverman

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I'm not being a smart arse in these posts I just cant understand the lack of support Irish Breweries seem to be getting

Lack of demand. Seriously.

I understand you like Irish beers but most people are risk averse and just do whatever the adverts tell them to do.

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

FFS When I was in Oz they didnt know any other beer apart from VB or Carlton existed

They're the market leaders, made in big factories by a multinational corporation. You've been asking why shops in Ireland don't normally stock the equivalent of Little Creatures or Coopers. Did you see them much in bottle shops?

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

They're the market leaders, made in big factories by a multinational corporation. You've been asking why shops in Ireland don't normally stock the equivalent of Little Creatures or Coopers. Did you see them much in bottle shops?

Well actually in SA where I think Coopers is made(I may be wrong where its actually made) it what highly advertised and in Adelaide it was on tap in every pub I was in.

BeerNut

Bad example, maybe. Trying to think of medium-sized independent Australian breweries. Barons? See much of them?

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

Bad example, maybe. Trying to think of medium-sized independent Australian breweries. Barons? See much of them?

No, I think Carlton, VB and Coopers were the most common I'd seen back then.xxxx too but that was in Queensland and by far the most disgusting of all beers

I just wish there was more Irish variety in local stores is all I'm trying to get across!

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I just wish there was more Irish variety in local stores is all I'm trying to get across!

I think what you're missing is that Bud, Heineken, Guinness and Carlsberg are the equivalents of Carlton, VB and XXXX: all of them are made locally in big factories by multinational corporations and have huge brand dominance.

There are no native Irish breweries with that kind of market clout, and that's why you won't see them in Spar.

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

I think what you're missing is that Bud, Heineken, Guinness and Carlsberg are the equivalents of Carlton, VB and XXXX: all of them are made locally in big factories by multinational corporations and have huge brand dominance.

There are no native Irish breweries with that kind of market clout, and that's why you won't see them in Spar.

My point is if I can see Koperberg, Tyskie, Karpackie, Lech etc etc in almost every single store its disapointing I cant get some local larger brewed in the Leinister region without going to a "specialist" drink store.

BeerNut

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I cant get some local larger brewed in the Leinister region without going to a "specialist" drink store.

You can. It's called Carlsberg (Dublin), Budweiser (Kilkenny) and Satzenbrau (Dundalk).

MANUTD99

BeerNut wrote: »

You can. It's called Carlsberg (Dublin), Budweiser (Kilkenny) and Satzenbrau (Dundalk).