Sales of Beamish rises by 90% in Northern Ireland

Northern Irish distributor said more than 250,000 pints of Beamish were sold in Northern Ireland last year

Ronan Gormley (left) of Criterion Bar & Coffee House in Belfast and Paddy Doris of Craigavon-based drinks distributor United Wines.

Sales of Beamish hit double-digit growth in Northern Ireland last year, with demand boosted across both on- and off-trades.

New figures released by United Wines, which distributes Beamish in Northern Ireland, show sales being boosted by a growing demand for arts, music and comedy venues, leading to on-trade growth in kegs and pints of 90% in 2024.

"More than 250,000 pints of Beamish were sold in Northern Ireland last year," said United Wines marketing marketing manager, Andrew Hollywood. 

"Beamish is quickly becoming the stout of choice for a new generation of discerning drinkers, and now we have our sales targets firmly set on passing the half million mark in Northern Ireland," Mr Hollywood continued.

As the stout category continues to grow ahead of the lager market, United Wines also noted success in Northern Irish sales of Murphy’s, another stout distributed by the company, which enjoyed an increase of 42% compared to last year, boosted by the Irish Open golf championship, Ulster Rugby and the SSE Arena.

The rise in demand has even led to a new Murphy’s 440ml can four-pack, which has just been launched in independent off-licenses across Northern Ireland. 

Shortages of Guinness throughout the Christmas period also contributed to a boost in the sales of Murphy's, with figures from Heineken showing sales of the Cork-founded drink rose by more than 600% across the UK in December as price hikes and supply problems from Guinness-maker Diageo helped smaller rivals establish themselves in the other markets.

The brewer reported "overwhelming demand" for the drink, adding that its skyrocketing popularity was part of a greater trend, with sales increasing month-on-month over the course of 2024. According to the brewer, sales of Murphy's rose by 176% overall in the on-trade, with a further increase of 236% in the independent free trade.

Founded in 1985, United Wines, which distributes both Murphy's and Beamish in Northern Ireland, is a subsidiary of Heineken Ireland and is one of the biggest drinks distributors on the island of Ireland. 

Operating from an 80,000 sq ft warehouse in Craigavon, the company employs more than 50 staff and distributes several beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks from around the world to more than 1,000 sites throughout the country.