26 May 2025
National Centre for Brewing and Distilling officially opened
The National Centre for Brewing and Distilling, located at Teagasc Oak Park, has been officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D.
Having been allocated funding of €2.3m by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine since 2020, the funding is used for equipment for the centre to help producers in the beverage sector to pilot new products and innovate their production practices. In addition to supporting beverage producers, the equipment in the National Centre for Brewing and Distilling will also be available to students who undertake educational courses in brewing and distilling.
Pictured at the official opening of the National Brewing and Distilling Centre in Teagasc Oak Park, Carlow were; Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director; Gemma Merrins, National Brewing and Distilling Centre; Liam Herlihy, Teagasc Chairman; Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Lisa Ryan, Manager of the National Brewing and Distilling Centre.
The initial funding investment by the centre was used to buy malting equipment to allow testing of grains, including native grains, for malting and to facilitate the production of small batches of specialised malts for the craft beer and spirit drinks sectors. Previously much of this testing was conducted overseas because of the lack of such facilities domestically.
Additional equipment for brewing and dealcoholizing processes will be purchased and expected to be installed by the end of 2025.
A fantastic resource
Commenting at the opening of the centre, Minister Heydon said: “I am delighted to officially open the National Centre for Brewing and Distilling, Oak Park, which, this year, was allocated additional funding of €900,000 from my department which will be used to install pilot scale distilling equipment.
“This important facility has been established for the benefit of producers to test and pilot their production processes for beer and spirit drinks, including testing the types of grains they use in their products. I am pleased that this equipment can be used by students who have an interest in pursuing a career in the drinks sector.”
Also speaking from the opening, Director of Teagasc, Professor Frank O Mara said: “The development of higher value markets for tillage farmers has been a priority of our crops research programme for a number of years and increasing the use of Irish grain in the drink sectors has been one of the areas we have been researching.
“Teagasc has invested significantly in this area, without the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for the capital equipment this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Echoing Professor O Mara’s comments, Minister Heydon added: “The National Centre for Brewing and Distilling will be a fantastic resource for drinks companies to try new products or methods of production at a test or pilot scale, including in the future, the development of non-alcohol alternatives in craft beers. All of those who use the centre have the added advantage of being able to avail of the expertise of the Teagasc team on site.”
At the launch event, Minister Heydon also referenced other funding to support research facilities in the sector, adding that €925,000 was provided last year for laboratory equipment for the Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Teagasc, to provide for chemical analysis of Irish Whiskey to identify factors that have an influence on the sensory perception of the product.
Minister Heydon added: “This funding supports the work of the Food Research Centre laboratory, helping to create a profile of the sensory properties including flavour of our Geographical Indication, Irish Whiskey.
“This profile will help to give insight into how, for example, different grain inputs or casks can influence the development of Irish Whiskey. This will provide valuable information available on the characteristics that make Irish whiskey a quality product,” Minister Heydon added.