“OUR INTENTION WAS always to support as many local people as we could. It’s important to give that support to the local community.”
As co-owner of Blue Bar in Skerries, Dublin, Lisa Nealon prides herself on her business’s ties to the area, from the Skerries locals serving up food and pints to the local suppliers she’s known for “many, many years.”
The drinks industry is an integral part of Ireland’s economy, directly employing 92,000 people and contributing more than €2.3bn in revenue.
Now, with locally sourced produce gaining significance for Irish consumers, the origin story of a drink is becoming just as important as who’s serving it up to you.
The number of Irish breweries producing their own product has more than quadrupled since 2012, going from 15 to 72.
In fact, every county in the Republic of Ireland, bar Westmeath, has at least one brewery, according to a new report by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI). The report, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Drinks Industry, was published as part of the 2018 Support Your Local campaign.
But the trend isn’t just related to beers: there are currently 18 Irish whiskey distilleries in operation, compared to just four in 2013. As for gin, our exports are set to treble to 400,000 nine-litre case annually by 2022. That’s a lot of Irish G&Ts.
“Our drinks industry has proven itself extremely adaptable to ever-changing tastes in consumer behaviour,” says DIGI secretary Donall O’Keeffe.
But it’s not all positive – as there are still huge barriers to trade for Irish producers and business owners, says O’Keeffe:
Right now, our own excise tax is a barrier. Compared to other EU states, Ireland’s is the second highest overall: we have the highest excise tax on wine, the second highest on beer and the third highest on spirits.
During the 2018 Support Your Local campaign, DIGI will be calling on policymakers to reduce that tax burden, to ensure a stronger future for business owners like Lisa Nealon.
“If the drinks industry is to flourish into the future, it needs as few barriers to trade as possible,” says O’Keeffe.
Want to help save hospitality jobs in your area and support local producers? Adding your voice to the campaign to lower Ireland’s alcohol excise tax is simple. Head over to supportyourlocal.ie, where you can sign their petition to raise your concerns with local TDs.
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