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Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland. What are they doing in America?

September 20, 2016Keith Gribbins

Heineken beer cooler fridge
Enjoy our locally produced Irish stout.

Just when you thought big beer couldn’t get any more manipulative and dishonest, Heineken hits a new, netherworld low, directly stealing from small breweries. It’s being reported from numerous outlets around ye grand ole internet that Heineken Ireland has been selling Heineken products to the Irish under the names of local craft beer.

Newstalk.com is saying that Heineken Ireland’s “low-volume high-quality draught products” were being sold at a number of outlets under local craft beer names, but that the company has now stopped this practice. Well, golly, thanks Heineken Ireland. You’re a standup subsidiary after all. Here’s a statement from Heineken from that Newstalk article:

“We apologise to our valued consumers and customers. This should not have happened. Heineken Ireland has appointed an external firm to investigate and help us understand how this occurred and to prevent it happening again,” the statement continued.

The brewer added that it “cannot make any further comment at this stage of the process.”

Luckily, that same sort of thing could never happen here, right? Would Heineken try selling fake craft beer to Americans? We guess that depends on whether you still consider Lagunitas a craft beer.

Newstalk notes that the financial services advisory firm, Grant Thornton, is doing the investigating. Henieken Ireland sells a lot of different beer brands, ranging from Coors Light and Singapore’s Tiger to Murphy’s Irish Stout and Beamish Irish Stout. Its craft portfolio includes Cute Hoor (which has an IPA and Red Head Ale), Mexico’s Sol, Belgium’s Affligem, Germany’s Paulaner, Italy’s Birra Moretti and Zwyiec, a premium Polish beer.

In contrasting hilarious news, Heineken Ireland was nominated “2016 Marketing Team of the Year” in May by All Ireland Marketing awards. We guess that’s pretty easy when Henieken Ireland’s magical products can morph into any beer imaginable. Award-winning marketing indeed.

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Comments

  1. Enda Cleary says

    September 24, 2016 at 4:36 pm

    Enda Cleary liked this on Facebook.

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  2. ashnod says

    September 24, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland
    https://t.co/V9x014x9Tg

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  3. Javie Salinas says

    September 21, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    Realllllllly

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  4. KCHopTalk says

    September 21, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    If Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland, what are they doing in America? https://t.co/WYKa3t67xa

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  5. carlos_jimenez says

    September 21, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland. What are they doing in America? #BigBeerFTL https://t.co/bFRXBSXqhV

    Log in to Reply
  6. BeerPadawan says

    September 21, 2016 at 5:22 am

    RT @57theheadline: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland; what are they doing in America? https://t.co/YKiyI5Hld8

    Log in to Reply
  7. Fred Searles says

    September 21, 2016 at 4:06 am

    Fred Searles liked this on Facebook.

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  8. Michelle Hill says

    September 21, 2016 at 4:06 am

    Michelle Hill liked this on Facebook.

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  9. Mackey1981 says

    September 21, 2016 at 3:57 am

    RT @57theheadline: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland; what are they doing in America? https://t.co/YKiyI5Hld8

    Log in to Reply
  10. 57theheadline says

    September 21, 2016 at 3:22 am

    Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland; what are they doing in America? https://t.co/YKiyI5Hld8

    Log in to Reply
  11. SEEssexCAMRA says

    September 21, 2016 at 3:00 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland. What are they doing in America? #BigBeerFTL https://t.co/bFRXBSXqhV

    Log in to Reply
  12. emeinz says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    I hope Heineken has a better plan to help Lagunitas roll out globally…

    https://t.co/08diLbZW4l

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  13. Fred Searles says

    September 20, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    Well..

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  14. Artifact_Bret says

    September 20, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    @CraftBrewingBiz @Heineken https://t.co/utTrT9PasO

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  15. duncanblr says

    September 20, 2016 at 5:58 pm

    @claire_dalton @CraftBrewingBiz @CuriosityLiquid bunch of chancers. Horrible company to deal with from my point of view.Not a bit surprised.

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  16. claire_dalton says

    September 20, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    @CraftBrewingBiz @duncanblr my favourite bit is the last paragraph!! ? https://t.co/bCUpXiuwM4

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  17. duncanblr says

    September 20, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland. What are they doing in America? #BigBeerFTL https://t.co/bFRXBSXqhV

    Log in to Reply
  18. Kev O Hara says

    September 20, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    Kev O Hara liked this on Facebook.

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  19. Henrique De Luca says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Henrique De Luca liked this on Facebook.

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  20. missjudithboyle says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:13 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Heineken sells fake craft beer in Ireland. What are they doing in America? #BigBeerFTL https://t.co/bFRXBSXqhV

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  21. Jeff Platt says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:51 am

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  22. Adam Holtvogt says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:51 am

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  23. Justin Barton says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:51 am

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