Business

Golden moment for Hercules as forgotten beer styles reinvented

The north has had its food revolution . . . and now beer is raising its head as craft breweries make their mark. Business editor Gary McDonald reports

Hercules Brewing Company Managing Director Niall McMullan with Yardsman Master Brewer Stuart Main
Hercules Brewing Company Managing Director Niall McMullan with Yardsman Master Brewer Stuart Main Hercules Brewing Company Managing Director Niall McMullan with Yardsman Master Brewer Stuart Main

THERE'S a revolution going on in pubs across Northern Ireland, where beer has been reinventing itself amid a surge in craft brewing.

And even as hostelries across the UK close at a rate of more than 20 a week, the number of small breweries has increased by 10 per cent over each of the past two years to more than 1,400 – the most since the 1940s.

That boom - which perhaps had its genesis in 2002 when then-Chancellor Gordon Brown introduced the Progressive Beer Duty to give tax breaks to brewers below a certain size - is led by small operations making distinctive lagers and ales, including around 20 in Northern Ireland.

Among the relatively recent newcomers saying 'sláinte mhór' to the sector has been the Hercules Brewing Company, the first craft brewery to open in Belfast for almost 160 years.

It originally operated in Hercules Street, off Royal Avenue, between 1845 and 1855, and was widely believed to be the earliest brewery in the city.

Marking its re-launch, it created a small batch brew lager called Yardsman which, in a nod to the rich history of Hercules Brewing Company, pays homage those who worked in the Belfast industries of linen making, ship building, distilling and brewing - people who were proud to serve apprenticeships and perfect their craft.

And not only has the company now started bottling its beer (it's already available on draft in around outlets mainly in Belfast), it has also just won a Gold Medal at the 54th Monde Selection international quality awards in Lisbon.

"It's honestly surprised me how quickly things have developed," says Niall McMullan, the international drinks industry veteran behind Hercules (his CV includes stints at the likes of Allied Domecq, Diageo and Coca-Cola).

"The company was only incorporated in December 2012, brewed its first batch of beer in February last year and pulled its first pint of Yardsman in the John Hewitt in April last year.

"We've gone from the equivalent of producing 72,000 bottles a year to 500,000, and we've had interest in the brand from places like France, Finland, Portugal and the US," McMullan added.

Hercules has also added extra capacity to its brewing plant in the Harbour Estate, which is effectively now a 24/7 operation to meet demand for the three derivatives of Yardsman - a 4.8ABV lager, 4.3 IPA and 5.6 pale ale, all created with created with the best of local ingredients and filtered through Irish linen (this was how is was done back in the day).

"We use Baird McNutt in Ballymena to source the finest linen, and to my knowledge we're unique in filtering by this method," McMullan says.

Indeed the walls of the modest Hercules Brewery pays this tribute to those who have gone before:

"What you put in is what you get out. Like our forefathers, we don't take short-cuts to get the job done. Today, we too toil with our hands to create a small batch brew that draws its greatness from a unique brewing process and the best of local ingredients".

McMullan added: "Craft brewing in total only represents less than one per cent of the entire drinks market in Northern Ireland, so we're not here to trouble the big boys.

"But I believe small breweries like ours and others are refreshing, reviving and reinventing beer as we know it and offering more than mass-produced keg beers.

"Hercules and other craft breweries are endeavouring to reinvent forgotten beer styles and serve up an alternative to the generic big brands," he says.

In the last two decades Northern Ireland has had its foodie revolution . . . now, it seems, it's beer's turn to raise its head.