Our brewery’s roots are deeply embedded in the hilly fields and farms of northeast Donegal.

New Green Tint to a Classic Brown Bottle

New Green Tint to a Classic Brown Bottle

There's not too much debate about the best colour for beer bottles. Green glass may work from a branding perspective for certain well known “big” beers but it’s definitely not good for the product itself since it allows UV rays to too quickly permeate the beer, resulting in a skunky off-flavour known in the brewing world as “lightstruck”. Although we refer to Kinnegar’s new bottle as “green”, the glass is of course still brown!

Farewell Meheen

Farewell Meheen

5.5 million bottles and 13,500 tonnes later, we raised a glass to the packaging team and said farewell to friend and foe. For an “automated” filler, bottling with the Meheen was an intensely labour intensive effort but that sturdy little trooper never, ever let us down. 

Origins : Pre-K >K1 >K2

Origins : Pre-K >K1 >K2

The move from K1 to K2 will be familiar to most Kinnegar fans but even the most ardent Kinnegar fan is unlikely to be familiar with the little pilot facility in our utility room where we learned to brew and developed some of our first beers, including Scraggy Bay, Rustbucket, Limeburner, and Devils Backbone. Libby refers to it as K0 but Pre-K is more apt — brewing preschool.

Of Hops & Harps

Of Hops & Harps

It goes without saying that beer and football are a classic combination. So too are local football teams and their local breweries. That’s why we’re now following the Harps as well as the hops. But what happens when team passions collide?

The Rise of Low Tide

The Rise of Low Tide

Our quest for the perfect low alcohol pale ale sees the ABV of Low Tide rising to 1%. The pertinent question, why?

Harpooning on the Kinnegar

Harpooning on the Kinnegar

As a small brewery on the periphery of Europe, we really appreciate visits from colleagues. We were thrilled to welcome one of the stalwarts of the American craft beer scene when Harpoon came along to K2. There’s a strong bond of friendship amongst the people who work at (and together own) Harpoon, and now there's a transatlantic friendship as well.

The Enduring Friendship of Music and Beer

The Enduring Friendship of Music and Beer

What pleasure we've had with the Earagail Arts Festival combining music and beer over the years. Great gigs, unforgettable evenings. All these shared events later we are genuinely thrilled to welcome EAF to K2 to help us christen the K2 Taproom and our new Front Lawn.

He Did It!

He Did It!

“Lads, listen up!”‍ This was the opening salvo from Felix as he launched his idea for a Kinnegar 24-Hour Challenge from his Bus Eireann seat one Friday afternoon in early June. He was on his way to Dublin but his Bavarian heart was ticking to its usual Donegal beat.

The Way to Walla Walla

The Way to Walla Walla

Walla Walla appears for its sixth season this year. Our batch size has long since outgrown the rhubarb patches of Rathmullan and Rick has decided on a different approach to making this seasonal sour. Time to turn to the professionals.

What's in a Bucket?

What's in a Bucket?

Rustbucket, Black Bucket, Bucket and Spade, Phunk Bucket. Bucket Brigade ... anyone else notice a common thread here? No, it's not a case of the folks at Kinnegar having a bizarre obsession with buckets. Our fascination is more with what's in the bucket – rye malt.

Beer Country, 2007

Beer Country, 2007

Rick is in brewing what the Germans call a 'Quereinsteiger' — he came at it from a different angle. Few of his fellow Americans can have completed their immigration forms at Dublin Airport with quite such an array of occupations over the years. In 2007 it was in his guise as journalist that he wrote about beer culture in Germany. The article reveals the igniting of an interest that eventually led to Kinnegar.

Follow The Hops Outside

Follow The Hops Outside

Whether surfing, hiking or cycling, many of us have taken the enforced isolation of the past months as an excuse to get outdoors more. As life slowly gets back to normal we plan to share some of our favourite places for a walk, run or cycle across the island. #FollowTheHopsOutside.

Tús Maith is Leath na hOibre

Tús Maith is Leath na hOibre

Yes, a good start is half the work. A lot has happened – at Kinnegar and in the beer world in general – in the 10 years since we made our debut in October 2011. Much has changed, yet looking back what stands out is not the change but the continuity.

A bunch of rabbits and their mates having the craic and making good beer

A bunch of rabbits and their mates having the craic and making good beer

Yep, that's pretty much our branding in a nutshell. A big thanks to one of our twitter fans for putting it so simply and succinctly. Nothing in life is however quite that simple...

The Skeleton in Seán’s Cupboard

The Skeleton in Seán’s Cupboard

Seán first appeared on Kinnegar’s radar when he applied for a bartending position in our Taproom at Rathmullan House. It took a remarkably short time to establish that he was exactly the man for the job and we didn’t hang around before offering him a position. We sealed the deal and have never looked back. It was only several years after he donned his Kinnegar colours that we discovered a skeleton in his cupboard.