Spanish brewer to buy 32% of O’Hara’s craft beer business

Spanish premium beer producer Hijos de Rivera is to take a significant shareholding in the Carlow Brewing Company, the company behind O’Hara’s craft beer range.

The family-owned La Coruna-based company is best known for its Estrella Galicia beer. It has reached agreement to buy a 32% stake in the Carlow Brewing Company for an undisclosed sum. The deal is understood not to be the first step in a takeover of the Bagenalstown-based brewer, but rather a solidifying of existing ties. Hijos de Rivera is already Carlow Brewing’s Spanish importer and the deal will help push O’Hara’s labels into other European and South American markets.

“We have spent the last two years developing our connection with the brewery since they became our Spanish importer, and this gives me great confidence they can make a significant contribution to the future success of Carlow Brewing Company, especially in helping us develop new and existing export markets for our beer and cider,” said Carlow Brewing Company chief executive Seamus O’Hara.