Irish Distillers has 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.
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.”
Meanwhile, Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace, owners and founders of Eight Degrees Brewing, asserted, “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.”
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
