In 2011, if you wanted interesting beer in Ireland, you were largely out of luck. Gráinne Walsh and Tim Barber decided to do something about it. Gráinne quit her IT job, they borrowed, scraped, and planned, and by the end of that year Metalman Brewing was making beer in Waterford — one of the first craft breweries in the country at a moment when the very concept was still considered eccentric.
Fourteen Years of Brewing
Metalman’s longevity is the most telling thing about the brand. The Irish craft beer scene has seen dozens of breweries launch and close; the ones that survive are the ones with real product and real community around them. Metalman has both.
The range has evolved significantly since those first batches, but the founding philosophy — make beers that are genuinely interesting, not just technically adequate — has remained consistent. Their Pale Ale was one of the first craft beers to earn serious distribution in Ireland; their subsequent range of IPAs, lagers, and seasonal specials has kept the brand relevant through several waves of craft beer fashion.
A Waterford Story
Metalman is deeply embedded in Waterford’s food and drink culture — a brewery that has grown alongside the city’s independent food scene and played a part in establishing the South East as a region that takes craft food and drink seriously.
Gráinne quit her IT job in 2011 to make beer in Waterford when nobody was doing it. Fourteen years later, Metalman is still one of the best arguments for taking that kind of leap.
Metalman Brewing
Waterford City
🌐 metalmanbrewing.com
