Craft brewing, cider making and distilling

The number of small independent breweries in Northern Ireland has tripled over the last decade. There are currently over 30 active breweries. These new breweries are craft producers, specialising in small batches of niche beer styles.

What is craft beer?

Beer is an alcoholic drink made from malted cereal (usually barley), yeast, water and hops. It includes ales, porters, stouts and lagers. The term 'craft beer' is subjective, but usually refers to the small-scale production of beer, with a focus on authenticity, quality and flavour.

The term 'real ale' is used to describe cask-conditioned beer made with traditional ingredients.

Types of breweries

There are several different types of breweries in Northern Ireland:

Commercial brewery

This is a brewery producing beer on a large scale.

Microbrewery

This is a brewery producing beer in quantities smaller than large-scale commercial breweries.

Brewpub

Typically, this is a restaurant or pub that brews beer in-house for sale on their premises.

Client/contract brewing 

This involves a commercial agreement by which a brewer contracts out the production of its beer to another brewery, typically due to a lack of own premises or resources to scale up production. In such situations, the client brewer may brew their own product in the host's space, or the host brewery may assume responsibility for the production. 

Commissioning

This involves a business that commissions the entire beer-making process (including recipe development) to a brewery, and labels and sells the beer as its own. For example, a bar or restaurant may commission a signature beer.

Food and drink tourism

Craft beer is an important part of Northern Ireland's food and drink tourism landscape. Trying locally-produced beer can be a key part of an authentic visitor experience. Tours, tastings, and special events can showcase the region's local beer offering. See food tourism opportunities.

Licensing

Breweries, cideries and distilleries with a licence for off sales may sell their own products directly from their production premises and in certain circumstances, from other licensed and unlicensed premises on an off-sales basis. Once a licence for off sales has been granted, a local producer may also apply for a suitability order and authorisation to allow sales for consumption on the premises in certain circumstances.

See how to apply for a licence to sell alcohol in Northern Ireland.