Beamish and Crawford
Encyclopedia
Beamish and Crawford is the longest-established brewery in Cork
, Ireland
. Established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter
brewery, it has had a number of owners over the centuries. These have included Carling O'Keefe
, Elders IXL, Scottish & Newcastle
, and (most recently) Heineken International.
The brewery's flagship product is Beamish stout
.
and the third largest in the then United Kingdom
as a whole. In 1805 its output was 100,000 barrels per annum - up from 12,000 barrels in 1792. It remained the largest brewery in Ireland until overtaken by Guinness
in 1833.
In 1865, the brewery underwent a modernisation programme and was completely revamped at a cost of £100,000. Alfred Barnard
, a noted brewing and distilling historian, remarked in his book Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland in 1889 that:
The company went public in 1901, issuing a share capital of £480,000. Further expansion was aided by the acquisition of a number of local breweries in the early 1900s. In 1962, it was purchased by the Canadian brewing firm Carling-O'Keefe Ltd
, who embarked on a modernisation programme at the brewery. In 1987, Elders IXL purchased Canadian Breweries (incorporating Carling-O'Keefe). In 1995, Elders sold the brewery to Scottish and Newcastle.
With the 2008 takeover of Scottish and Newcastle, the brewery passed into the hands of its main Cork-based rival Heineken International.
In December 2008 it was announced that the Beamish & Crawford brewery was to close in March 2009 with the loss of 120 jobs. The products currently brewed there will henceforth be produced at the nearby Heineken Brewery (previously Murphy's
) with about 40 of the Beamish staff moving to Heineken.
The brewery buildings (including the Tudor fronted "counting house") are still situated in the heart of Cork's medieval city, close to the site of the city's South Gate.
In addition to their own produce, Beamish and Crawford brewed and distributed a number of internationally known brands of beer, with the Irish franchises for Fosters
, Kronenbourg 1664 and Miller
. Fosters
has remained with the new owners, while Miller
was transferred to a new distributor, importing the beer from SABMiller
's Netherlands
brewery.
In 2009, after just over two years of being reintroduced to the U.S. market, owners Heineken decided to stop distribution of Beamish products outside Ireland.
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter
Porter (beer)
Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...
brewery, it has had a number of owners over the centuries. These have included Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
, Elders IXL, Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a "long alcoholic drinks" company with positions in 15 countries, including UK, France and Russia. It was headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. In the last 20 years, S&N expanded significantly from its home base to become an international business with beer...
, and (most recently) Heineken International.
The brewery's flagship product is Beamish stout
Stout
Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
.
History
The Beamish and Crawford brewery was founded in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford. They purchased an existing brewery (from Edward Allen) on a site in Cramer's lane that had been used for brewing since at least 1650 (and possibly as early as 1500). Beamish and Crawford's "Cork Porter Brewery" prospered, and by 1805 it had become the largest brewery in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the third largest in the then United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
as a whole. In 1805 its output was 100,000 barrels per annum - up from 12,000 barrels in 1792. It remained the largest brewery in Ireland until overtaken by Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
in 1833.
Alfred Barnard
Alfred Barnard was a British brewing and distilling historian.-Life and work:According to the limited family records available, Barnard was born in 1837 into a Baptist family in Thaxted, a rural village in Essex, England. His was one of eight children. His father was a draper and grocer.In 1859,...
, a noted brewing and distilling historian, remarked in his book Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland in 1889 that:
- "The business of Beamish & Crawford in Cork is a very old one dating as far back as the seventeenth century and it is said to be the most ancient porter brewery in Ireland".
The company went public in 1901, issuing a share capital of £480,000. Further expansion was aided by the acquisition of a number of local breweries in the early 1900s. In 1962, it was purchased by the Canadian brewing firm Carling-O'Keefe Ltd
Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
, who embarked on a modernisation programme at the brewery. In 1987, Elders IXL purchased Canadian Breweries (incorporating Carling-O'Keefe). In 1995, Elders sold the brewery to Scottish and Newcastle.
With the 2008 takeover of Scottish and Newcastle, the brewery passed into the hands of its main Cork-based rival Heineken International.
In December 2008 it was announced that the Beamish & Crawford brewery was to close in March 2009 with the loss of 120 jobs. The products currently brewed there will henceforth be produced at the nearby Heineken Brewery (previously Murphy's
Murphy's Brewery
Murphy's Brewery was a brewery founded in Cork, Republic of Ireland in 1856. It was known as Lady's Well Brewery until it was purchased by Heineken International in 1983, when the name changed to Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. The name of the brewery was recently changed to Heineken Brewery Ireland,...
) with about 40 of the Beamish staff moving to Heineken.
The brewery buildings (including the Tudor fronted "counting house") are still situated in the heart of Cork's medieval city, close to the site of the city's South Gate.
Products
Prior to the takeover and closure of the brewery, key products included:- Beamish stoutStoutStout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
is Beamish and Crawford's flagship product, now brewed by Heineken at the Murphy's brewery. - Beamish Red was a sweetish ale, made to resemble KilkennyKilkenny (beer)Kilkenny is a nitrogenated Irish cream ale from the makers of Guinness, which originated in Kilkenny, Ireland. The brand is managed and produced by Diageo. It is available in draught and cans...
or Murphy'sMurphy's BreweryMurphy's Brewery was a brewery founded in Cork, Republic of Ireland in 1856. It was known as Lady's Well Brewery until it was purchased by Heineken International in 1983, when the name changed to Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. The name of the brewery was recently changed to Heineken Brewery Ireland,...
Irish Red. Production ceased immediately following the takeover. Several Cork pubs which once stocked Beamish Red replaced it with Franciscan Well Rebel Red.
In addition to their own produce, Beamish and Crawford brewed and distributed a number of internationally known brands of beer, with the Irish franchises for Fosters
Fosters
Fosters or Foster's may refer to:* Foster's Lager, an Australian beer* Foster's Group, an Australian brewer and distributor* Fosters Freeze, a chain of fast-food restaurants in California...
, Kronenbourg 1664 and Miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
. Fosters
Fosters
Fosters or Foster's may refer to:* Foster's Lager, an Australian beer* Foster's Group, an Australian brewer and distributor* Fosters Freeze, a chain of fast-food restaurants in California...
has remained with the new owners, while Miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
was transferred to a new distributor, importing the beer from SABMiller
SABMiller
SABMiller plc is a global brewing and bottling company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second-largest brewing company measured by revenues and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands include Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell...
's Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
brewery.
In 2009, after just over two years of being reintroduced to the U.S. market, owners Heineken decided to stop distribution of Beamish products outside Ireland.