Living in Cork sometimes does have its benefit. Being close to Mitchelstown, in this case, is all the better. Based in Mitchelstown since its foundation in 2010 by Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace, 8 Degrees Brewing has quickly established itself both locally and nationally as a producer of some of the finest craft beers in the country. The owners of the Micro brewery have trained in Germany in traditional German brewing techniques and brought this to Mitchelstown where they used the fantastic local water supply to create their range of Beers, all done with a staff of 10.
This morning I was delighted to hear the news that Irish Distillers had acquired 8 Degrees. It can only spell great things for both companies. Irish Distillers will now have their own beer to continue the ever so popular Caskmates brand while 8 Degrees will have a power house behind them to expand and grow their own brands. Speaking to Scott this morning at their new Brewery site, just opposite where they are presently situated, he said it was business as usual for them but that it was also a very exciting time. And why wouldn’t it be exciting with the Brewing team about to commission a new larger brewery to increase their capacity which was running at full tilt to keep up with demand. I’m excited myself to see what comes of it from both companies!
8 Degrees Brewing can be found at www.eightdegrees.ie.
The following is the official press release from Irish Distillers limited.
Friday, May 11th, 2018 – Irish Distillers, Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys, has today announced that it has completed a deal to acquire Eight Degrees Brewing. The deal will see Eight Degrees Brewing providing a long-term beer supply to support the continued global growth of Jameson Caskmates while also supporting Eight Degrees Brewing’s continued innovation and experimentation in the craft beer sector.
Jameson is one of Ireland’s most recognised brands worldwide, enjoying almost 30 years of exponential growth with 6.5 million cases sold last year, up from 500,000 cases during the mid-90s. The launch of Jameson Caskmates in 2014 has been the latest successful innovation for the leading Irish whiskey brand. Jameson Caskmates is made by finishing Jameson Irish whiskey in craft beer-seasoned barrels.
Tommy Keane, Production Director for Irish Distillers commented: “Jameson, which has been driving the growth of the Irish whiskey category for the past 28 years, continues to thrive and is now in double or triple digit growth in 80 markets across the world. This global growth has been driven by the hard work and dedication of our team in Midleton who have tirelessly pursued new ways to innovate and grow the category. One of our most successful innovations has undoubtedly been the introduction of Jameson Caskmates. Following a successful pilot test in the Irish market in 2014, Jameson Caskmates has had exceptional success since its launch, selling almost 200,000 cases into more than 40 markets last year. With this success comes a need to plan for the future and that’s what led to this exciting deal with Cam and Scott in Eight Degrees Brewing. We’re looking forward to working with their team to continue to grow Jameson Caskmates on the world stage from Midleton and Mitchelstown.”
Commenting on the deal, Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace, owners and founders of Eight Degrees Brewing said: “We’re very excited about this deal with Irish Distillers. When we set up Eight Degrees Brewing in Mitchelstown in 2010 we wanted to brew naturally adventurous, great tasting beers that were more exciting and innovative than anything else in the market. Becoming part of the Irish Distillers family means that we have the long-term capabilities to continue on this mission as well as being part of the very exciting Jameson Caskmates story. We’re looking forward to working with Tommy and the team in Midleton while continuing to create new and exciting beers for our customers.”
That's Dram Good 