6 October 2023
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
“Original 7” gets its name from being the 7th microbrewery in Ireland – in the current era. It’s based at 14B North Mall, Cork City centre
Original 7 Beverage Company, which described itself as “Cork’s latest and most exciting craft brewery”, founded by Shane Long and Steve Guiney, is celebrating its first year in business with a prestigious Blas na hÉireann – Irish Food Awards – silver medal for their Wonderland Red Ale brew. The awards were announced in the past week in Dingle, Co. Kerry.
Shane Long, Steve Guiney, and Paidi Scully of Original 7
Currently available in 56 pubs in Cork City
This small yet dynamic brewery, located within the historic grounds of the Franciscan Well pub in Cork City, has garnered significant recognition for its range of easy to drink, artisan beers. They have secured three World Beer Awards this year alone for Wonderland Ale, Revolution IPA and Original 7 Lager.
Steve Guiney, Managing Director of Original 7 explains why this award is so special;
“We are absolutely thrilled to win a silver medal at this year’s Blas na hÉireann awards. As a brewery just embarking on our journey, we take great pride in achieving such a high level of recognition for our Wonderland Red Ale. It is testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, especially our Head Brewer Paídí Scully, who pours his heart and soul into every brew. It has given our business an immense boost and strengthens our commitment to deliver exceptional, innovative beers to our customers. Congratulations to our fellow finalists, we are huge fans of your beers, and thank you to the esteemed judges and to all our valued customers and supporters”.
Wonderland Red Ale is a key offering in Original 7’s lineup, which also includes Revolution IPA, Original 7 Lager, Rockafeller Weisse, and Hazy Pale. It embodies the essence of a traditional Irish Red Ale, crafted from a blend of five malts that imparts a creamy mouthfeel and a luscious ruby-red hue. With an ABV of 4.3%, it’s a flavourful choice for discerning beer enthusiasts.
Original 7 beers are currently available in 56 pubs in Cork City and from the Franciscan Well craft pub. Harking back to the establishment of the original brewery by Shane in 1998, all of the beers boldly stand out at the bar taps with a nostalgic 90’s look and feel. They even have their own 90’s playlist!
The brewery has also produced three special brews: Shelby Dascher Spiced IPA, Juice Bomb NEIPA and Knockboy Mountain IPA with two more planned this month. There are also plans to supply their beers on trade to pubs in Cork County, Limerick, Waterford and Kerry and the launch of two limited edition beers early next year in collaboration with a well-known Cork distillery and a soft drink brand synonymous with Munster!
To discover more about Original 7, check out www.original7.ie and their Instagram page @original7.ie. There is even a beer map so you can visit the many excellent pubs in Cork City serving award winning Original 7 beers!