Beer in Northern Ireland

Most microbreweries in Northern Ireland find it difficult to sell beer in draught form due to the local tied-pubs issues, where most pubs are owned by Diageo (Guinness), C&C Group (Tennent's) or Molson Coors Brewing Company.

During the 18th century, the Irish Parliament used taxation to encourage brewing at the expense of distilling, reasoning that beer was less harmful than whiskey.

"[5] The Caffrey's Ulster Brewery, established in Belfast in 1897 and taken over by Bass in 1974, closed in 2004, so ending big company brewing in Northern Ireland.

[7] Guinness, brewed at St James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, is still a popular stout beer in Northern Ireland.

[8] For many years Northern Ireland's craft breweries called for a change in the law, which prevented them selling their produce directly to the customer on site or online.