If your knowledge of Irish beers starts and ends with good old Guinness, it’s time to get to know Ireland Craft Beers; a company that is offering the global marketplace a taste of the real Ireland.
Who doesn’t love a delicious beer at the end of a long business day? We know we do and given how popular small-batch brewing, craft ales and artisanal alcohol is right now, we wanted to get up close and personal with Shane McCarthy of Ireland Craft Beers. Before we started talking all things hops, however, we found out about the man himself.
Who is Shane McCarthy?
He might have found his calling in Ireland, but Shane has seen the world, experienced a vast variety of cultures and cultivated his professional skills within the heady technologies industry. With a determined vision to bring about a natural symbiosis between the alcoholic drinks market and contemporary tech, including Blockchain innovations and global supply chain management, his personal interests also align beautifully. A keen travel enthusiast, avid business reader and active promoter of the Irish artisanal craft beer scene, Shane has truly found his place at Ireland Craft Beers.
About Ireland Craft Beers
If you’re picturing a provincial set-up in the rolling Irish hills, you might be a little taken aback to discover that Ireland Craft Beers are as savvy about the digital marketing side of things as they are beverages, as Shane explained,
“We have a strong digital media strategy, which gives us strong Google ratings for organic enquiries. In terms of products, we tend to start with meetings at key Irish trade festivals or arranging deliveries of fresh samples from new brands/producers. We observe facilities and assess their ability to meet export product volume demands. We then run a strict tasting and brand analysis on current trends and tastes in certain markets, working back from a lot of buyers and customers’ feedback on what they are currently demanding from the market.”
Add in some key design and branding advice and you have an extensive selection of new craft beers entering the export market on a regular basis, all thanks to Ireland Craft Beers.
There’s a confidence and enthusiasm in Shane that could fool you into believing the company has an endless heritage, dating back to Medieval times when beer was brewed by monks in secretive cloisters, but in reality, Ireland Craft Beers has only been in operation for 18 months. Following an extensive six-month period of planning and legal logistics-hurdling, trading began in 2015 and has spiralled from there, with prestigious craft beverage markets the world over now knowing the name. There’s a firm directive in place as to what is wanted from the company, as Shane divulged,
“Ireland Craft Beers brings a true taste of Ireland to the global market, showcasing creative and rural Ireland through a taste of independent artisan products that have grown up through generations of families and techniques. Our long-term goal is to bring Ireland’s premium producers back into recognition amongst the best in world, creating a global network of sales channels and access for consumers to get a true taste of rural Ireland through the Ireland Craft Beers portfolio.”
We don’t know about you, but our mouths are watering just at the thought of enjoying a sip of rural Irish culture, especially given the vast amount of products currently being offered. From craft ale to gin, potato vodka to brandy and everything in between, there is definitely a tipple for everyone in the portfolio.
Travelling the world with Ireland Craft Beers
Shane is a young executive, but we wanted to know if he is also a Lost Executive, in the sense that he strives to make the most of every business travel opportunity that comes his way. The answer, of course, is yes!
“I tend to try and mix business with pleasure by extending trips by a few days in big cities such as NYC, Miami and Brisbane in order to relax, enjoy some sunshine and local activities. I always take in the culture through a lot of brewery and distillery tours and enjoy checking out the local spread of bars and restaurants, as market research. Being quite a small and dynamic business, we tend to split the travel aspects up between the team, but we do travel a lot between Ireland and the UK, as we have offices in both Belfast and London.”
Just as travel opportunities are exploited to the full, for both business and personal growth, Shane also has a similar mindset to us, when it comes to unwinding at the end of a long day,
“I do a lot of running in the evenings where possible and my exercise regimes include everything from crossfit to calisthenics, boxing and Irish GAA. You need a good release from the stress of the beverage world. I actually grew up around the Mourne Mountains, so I try to hike whenever possible, while back home in Ireland.”
When we first started researching Ireland Craft Beers and reached out to Shane, we had an overwhelming sense that he has one of the most enviable jobs in the world. Nothing has changed. Not only is he making great strides in an exciting marketplace but he NEEDS to research bars and beverages too! With that in mind, The Lost Executive team wholeheartedly toasts Ireland Craft Beers and Shane himself, but with just one drink, as we don’t want beer goggles to impair our view of future innovations and growth that come out of this dynamic company.
Twitter @irelandcraftbeer Facebook: IrelandCraftBeer
