SPIRIT Fighting

IRELAND’S FIRST FEMALE-LED CRAFT BREWERY IS PRODUCING A RANGE OF BEERS THAT ARE FIRMLY ROOTED IN WEST KERRY

Afew weeks back, Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne (or West Kerry Brewery) came out on top in the Irish Drink category at the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards. The brewery scooped the coveted accolade for its golden ale, Béal Bán, created and produced by Adrienne Heslin in her small-batch brewery in the heart of the Gealtacht on the Dingle Peninsula. Held annually, the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards shine a light on smaller producers who might otherwise slip under the radar. As the first woman in Ireland to set up and manage a craft brewery, Adrienne’s light isn't likely to go unnoticed.

Located in the garden of her pub, Tig Bhric in Ballyferriter, Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne began producing ales in 2008 with a small 800-litre kit, using water from 150 feet below the brewery. Before production began, Adrienne and two of her staff set off for England to do a brewing course. “We had learned how to brew English style beer, so we came home with a recipe based on those learnings. The very first beer we produced was a red ale, followed by a porter. Sourcing malt was a challenge in the beginning; we couldn’t find a maltster that sold bagged malt. Eventually we found a maltster in Cork so we used to load a large wheelie bin into a van, drive to Cork, position it underneath the dispenser which was about 10 feet up in the air and try and catch all the malt falling down.” Today, Adrienne buys her bagged malt from Minch Malt in Athy, a barley grown in the Ring of Hook Peninsula, Co Wexford. The ethos at Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne is not to mimic or copy anyone else. “What we're really trying to do is create a cultural identity that embeds our brewery and our products into the local area."

Adrienne grew up in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin. She studied fine art and worked in a restaurant in Dingle during the summer months. “I loved the town. It was a very cosmopolitan place back in 1987, full of artists and not nearly as commercial as it is today. One summer I decided to stay and just happened to fall in love with a man who owned a pub.” Adrienne did not, however, fall in love with the pub, at least not initially. “For years I hated it. Life in a pub is like living in a fishbowl. Everyone knows your business and that was very difficult for me to deal with. Privacy and my private life are very important to me.” Adrienne eventually settled into life at Tig Bhric. In 2001, Adrienne’s partner sadly passed away, leaving her with a young daughter and a pub to run. Setting up a brewery was a lifeline and a chance to create something for herself. “It completely turned things around. I feel very proud that I’ve created this small business in rural Ireland. I don’t resent the pub anymore. The two businesses are intertwined, although the pub needs the brewery more than the brewery needs the pub.” Ales are produced at the brewery all year round, while tours have provided an additional revenue stream. “We’re a bit overstretched at the moment but that seems to be the nature of my existence! Bookings for tours are looking good for the summer months. We’re located on the Dingle peninsula and on the Wild Atlantic Way, so tourists are literally passing by our door every day. Customers coming to the pub will often order one of our beers and then book a tour, so that also works well.”

With four members of staff (Paul, Daniel, Pat, John and Norah, Adrienne's mother), Adrienne runs a tight ship. The brewery produces about 700 litres of beer twice a week, sometimes three. Out of that, she directly supplies off-licences in an 80km radius and the rest goes to the wholesaler for national distribution. “It’s tough going, but you just have to get on with it. I brew, bottle and label the beers, I dispense beer from the counter, I order and manage the pub and the brewery and we also have a guesthouse. But when you have a small business, you have to be able to do everything yourself Staffing is a challenge; since Covid I haven’t been able to find a chef. Prior to the pandemic, we were serving soups, chowders and open sandwiches. Now, I’ll offer the option of food to tours coming to the brewery. I make everything myself and I think that adds to the experience.” Opening hours at the pub are structured around staff availability. “I have just one barman so we don’t open on a Sunday and Monday. In a small business like this, you really have to consider what you’re capable of providing. If you can’t give something 100%, you have to call it.”

Exporting abroad isn’t high on the list of priorities, says Adrienne. “I’m much more interested in expanding nationally. Exporting abroad would be tricky; our beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised, there’s a residual yeast with them. Every case has a sticker saying this must be chilled, so if a case is sitting in a warm warehouse in the UK, I have no control over the quality of the product. I’m much more interested in growing our production capabilities and satisfying national demand. But to make that happen, I need finance.”

During Covid, Adrienne’s bank sold a loan to a vulture fund. “That has had a direct impact on my ability to access finance and why I must work as hard as I do to keep our product out there. It also means I can’t buy a new bottling machine or invest in other equipment that would help us expand.” The fund that owns the loan has given Adrienne an asking price that she’s not in a position to meet.

“We’re at a stalemate. I’m naturally a positive person but the reality of what I’m up against hits me every so often. I love what I do, but I have no control over the situation I’m in.” For now, Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne will continue to produce award-winning beers and Adrienne will continue to do what she does best – run a small business with aplomb. “It’s a lot of work. The effort is immense but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”