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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Rather, the really successful craft brewers let the seeds planted as a result of their passion generate enough money to allow them to flourish. (32/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Passion for beer is important in craft breweries, but money is also necessary. The really successful breweries do not let money over-shadow their passion. (31/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Ultimately, by trying to be too big, too quickly, they ran out of money. They fell into a trap often tempting to craft brewers - where size, volumes and speed to succeed become more important than establishing sufficient foundations first. (30/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The people at Killarney Brewing and Distilling (also mentioned in the article) had ambitious plans. Where other breweries with less extensive ambitions, and less urgency to expand, have been extremely successful, Killarney also had bad luck with the timing of Covid. (29/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

They did everything right at Black Donkey - innovating, pioneering and exploring and extending quality in the beers they brewed. Without the timing of Covid, and with less regulatory hassle and/or more support, I'm convinced they would have continued successfully. (28/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

It can also happen with breweries that do everything correctly. Sometimes passion for excellent beer is just not enough. Richard Siberry, brewer at Black Donkey (also in the article), and his brewery co-founder Michaela Dillon have great passion for excellent beers. (27/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

There are some breweries that have closed because not all breweries can get all that is necessary right. Just like with restaurants and the food in a restaurant, this can happen with a brewery if the quality of the beers brewed is not consistently excellent. (26/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The reality of the craft beer market in Ireland is there are still many people in Ireland buying and drinking hundreds of thousands of pints/bottles/cans of craft beer. People still enjoy excellent beer, and breweries brewing excellent beer are still doing very well. (25/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

And/or … (If they did, or either way), this was not sufficient to allow the Franciscan Well to sell enough beer to meet Molson Coors volume and financial expectations. (24/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

What I can say for definite is - Either … Molson Coors DID NOT allow the Franciscan Well employees enough leeway to allow their passion for beer to dictate the success of the brewery, (23/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Answering this second question in a round about way - It's easier for a small company with excellent beers to sell enough volume to do well ... ... than it is for a beer brand owned by a large corporation to generate the much higher sales volumes that company expects. (22/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

I wasn’t on the inside, so I can’t honestly answer this question. A second question - even if Molson Coors did give this level of freedom, would it have been sufficient to allow them to sell enough to meet Molson Coors financial and volume expectations? (21/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The people that I know connected to Franciscan Well were passionate about beer. Question - did Molson Coors allow them to pursue this passion with enough leeway to allow this passion to dictate the success of the brewery … … or were spreadsheets more important? (20/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Btw, I am very sorry to hear this news in the context of the 15 people whose jobs are in question. I don’t know all of these people, but I do know some of them. I wish them the best, and hope things work out well for them. (19/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The closure of the Franciscan Well doesn’t really say anything about the craft beer market. (18/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

What does the closure of the Franciscan Well say about anything? It says Molson Coors was not able to manage/develop a beer brand that they wanted to compete against craft beers such that it would sell enough volume to satisfy their expectations/financial targets. (17/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

However, when a beer brand is owned by a company that pays its top management tens or hundreds of times what it pays its median employee, volume expectations are greater. The simple truth is that the Franciscan Well beers did not meet THESE volume expectations. (16/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

There are two sides to this question. Undoubtedly, there were a number of people in Ireland that enjoyed drinking Franciscan Well beers. Smaller Breweries can do quite well on relatively small volumes of sales. (15/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

In mid 2024, Molson Coors made an agreement for Heineken to distribute Molson Coors brands in Ireland. The issue for the Franciscan Well brand became - is the quality/reputation of the (Franciscan Well) beers sufficient to allow them to meet Molson Coors expectations? (14/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The truth of the situation about Molson Coors is that Molson set up a distribution operation for Molson Coors brands about thirteen years ago. This operation (I understand) lost money virtually every year, and was bank-rolled annually by Molson Coors Corporation. (13/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The second part of the quote is notable honesty from Molson Coors - namely, that the Franciscan Well is closing due to “... wider economic pressures.” Economics - i.e. financial concerns - is the PRIMARY driver of large corporations. (12/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

, we can apply the same logic to Molson Coors and the Franciscan Well. Molson Coors is most definitely NOT a craft brewery. Franciscan Well was a craft beer. The brand name was purchased by Molson Coors to attach to beers brewed by the Molson Coors Corporation. (11/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Btw, Monster Beverage Corporation also purchased craft beer brands as a financial investment decision - like Molson Coors purchase the Franciscan Well brand. Here is some news about Monster's craft beer investments - www.fooddive.com/news/weekly-.... (10/32)

fooddive.com

The Weekly Sip: Monster shuts down craft beer plant amid alcohol woes | Jamba Juice gets into powdered hydration

In other beverage news, Ryl Tea raised $15 million in its latest funding round with the help of its country star co-founder Morgan Wallen.

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

A second quote from the article giving an opinion as to whether BBC is a craft brewery or not - “... the business (Boston Beer Co - BBC) is a craft brewer in the same sense that IHOP (the International House of Pancakes) is a hamburger restaurant.”

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

So - a follow-on question. Does it look like Boston Beer Company (or, alternatively, Monster Beverage Corporation) is a craft brewery? IMHO, it depends on whether you believe the company is more passionate about beer or money. (08/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

A quote from the above article - “the AFL-CIO’s latest Executive Paywatch report, released in July, found that CEOs at Boston Beer Co. (BBC), ... Monster Beverage Corporation, and Tilray Brands made anywhere from 82 to 306 times more than their median employee.” (07/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

Is the Franciscan Well - a beer brand/brewery owned by Molson Coors - a craft brewery? The definition of “craft brewery” presents challenges, and is subject to opinion. Here is an opinion about another “craft brewery” from a different article for consideration ... (05/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

This quote also requires interpretation. Taking the first part, any craft beer market (whether growing or declining) is “tough” for companies like Molson Coors because global and multi-national corporations do not have the DNA to be craft brewers. (04/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

There is an interesting quote from the multi-national corporation owner of the Franciscan Well - Molson Coors - in the opening of the article. Namely - “Molson Coors will shut the … brewery …, citing a tough craft beer market and wider economic pressures” (03/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The question in the headline - “What (does) the Franciscan Well closure say about the craft beer market?” My answer - IMHO, nothing. (02/32)

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

I appreciate this article more because it DOESN'T fully do what it suggests it will in the headline - namely, interpret what the closure of the Franciscan Well says about craft beer. I will. (01/32) www.irishexaminer.com/business/com...

irishexaminer.com

When the taps run dry: what the Franciscan Well closure says about the craft beer market

Molson Coors will shut the Cork brewery early next year, citing a tough craft beer market and wider economic pressures

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

After the news at 3pm on @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social @newstalkfm.bsky.social on #MoviesAndBooze, we will be talking about the difference between the Belgian Dubbel and Belgian Tripel beer styles, and tasting Augustijn Grand Cru (a Tripel) and Bornem Double (a Dubbel

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Reposted by Dean McGuinness

Seán Moncrieff @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

On the show today: @aoifekelleher.bsky.social on her Magdalene Laundries doc; Fake Carbonara; The world's biggest afro; Keping Antarctica covid free; Showbiz news; @beermessiah.bsky.social with beer; Reviews of 'Jay Kelly' and 'Wicked: For Good'...

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

College ignores translator's advice because - as we all know - when it comes to education, marketing and branding are much more important than grammar. www.thejournal.ie/college-dhul...

thejournal.ie

Dublin college re-branded with nonsense Irish name after officials ignored translator's advice

The City of Dublin Education and Training Board went ahead with the change regardless.

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Today on #MoviesAndBooze, with Oktoberfest starting tomorrow, we are tasting three Festbiers - two Irish and one German. We will be tasting Third Barrel Festbier, Kinnegar Leaf Kicker and Ayinger Festmarzen.

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Reposted by Dean McGuinness

Seán Moncrieff @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

On the show today: Does booze make you better at languages?; Adults-only hotels; VR movies; Tourist in Venice canals; Showbiz news; @beermessiah.bsky.social with beer; reviews of 'Girls & Boys' & 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey'

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

To-day on #MoviesAndBooze on @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social on @newstalkfm.bsky.social from 3pm to 4pm to-day (Friday) we will be telling the story of Goldilocks and the Alcohol Free Beers, and tasting Kirin Ichiban and the world's first alcohol-free Trappiste beer - LaTrappe Nillis.

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

On the eve of this year's Nat. Homebrew Club competition judging taking place at Rascals Brewing Co tomorrow (Saturday), today on #MoviesAndBooze on @SeanMoncrieff.bsky.social @NewstalkFM.bsky.social we are tasting two beers from Rascals - Club Rock Shandy Pale Ale and Pink Lemonade Sour

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Reposted by Dean McGuinness

Seán Moncrieff @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

On the show today: @saoirsehanley.bsky.social on female sports fans; How to let go of a grudge; Street art indoors; Slam Poetry world cup; @deebodee.bsky.social with Showbiz news; @beermessiah.bsky.social with beer; @brianmlloyd.bsky.social reviews 'Novocaine' & 'A Working Man'...

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Reposted by Dean McGuinness

Seán Moncrieff @seanmoncrieff.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

On the show today: @margareteward.bsky.social on bad bosses; Sporty beards; @ciaragreene.bsky.social on (not) remembering; The library storyteller; @beermessiah.bsky.social with beer; @deebodee.bsky.social with Showbiz news; @toxicolly.bsky.social reviews 'the Last Showgirl' & 'Fight or Flight'...

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Today on @SeanMoncrieff.bsky.social #MoviesAndBooze on @NewstalkFM.bsky.social we will be embracing Polygamy. I'll be showing how a polygamous approach to beer drinking can be more pleasurable and healthier while tasting Delirio - alcohol free beer - and Delirium Tremens, both from Brewery DeHuyghe

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Dean McGuinness @beermessiah.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

When you have literally zero followers, and you're first post is ... "Hello, Blue Sky" the post takes on a particular meaning.

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