 | |
| Type | Stout |
|---|---|
| Distributor | Heineken International |
| Origin | Ireland |
| Alcohol by volume | 4% |
| Colour | Black |
| Flavour | Black Coffee |
| Variants | Murphy's Stout 3.5% |
| Website | http://murphys.com |
Murphy's Irish Stout (often simplyMurphy's) is astout brewed at theMurphy's Brewery inCork, Ireland. It is owned and distributed by the Dutch brewerHeineken International.
It is brewed to be less heavy and less bitter than its chief competitorGuinness.[1][2] Its flavour is evocative ofcaramel andmalt,[3] and is described as "a distant relative ofchocolate milk".[1] The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture: Murphy's is free from any hint ofcarbonation,[1] and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam – the head – on top.[4] The water of theRiver Lee in Cork allegedly gave Murphy's its quality.
After years as a solely local stout, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy's to the international drinking community. In 1988,Whitbread acquired the distribution and brewing rights for Murphy's in the UK, where it was brewed in the Magor brewery atMagor in Wales.[5] In 2000, these rights went toInterbrew when they acquired Whitbread Brewing Company.
In addition to being distributed inkegs, Murphy's is also available in a can. To simulate the appearance and texture of thetap version, cans of Murphy's contain anitrogen widget, which increases the creaminess of thehead when poured.[6]
Export volumes peaked in the mid-1990s and domestic volume peaked around 2000.[7] The brand is suffering in its native Ireland due to a declining market for stout.[8] It holds a 5 per cent share of the Irish stout market, although this is largely a result of its 28 per cent share of its native Cork market.[7] Murphy's has a limited presence in Ireland outside of Cork.[7] In 2011, 60,000 hectolitres of Murphy's were sold in Ireland.[9]
Murphy's was launched on draught in the United Kingdom in 1989. Cans were launched in 1992. It is now rarely found on draught in the UK, although is stocked by many major supermarkets in cans. In the UK it is brewed at Heineken'sTadcaster plant inNorth Yorkshire for the home market and some export markets.[10] According toEuromonitor, Murphy's sold 25,000 hl in the UK in 2011.[9] Murphy's held less than five percent of the British stout market in 2016.[11]
Popular export markets include Norway and Italy. In New York the importer is United States Beverage (USB), which is a premium imported /craft beer sales and marketing company located in Stamford, Connecticut.
In 1992 Whitbread commissioned well known film director Alan Parker to create a series of adverts shot in and around Cork. The campaign "like the Murphy's I'm not bitter" was successful and marked the peak of the brands success in Great Britain. In 1997 ananime television advertisement was created for Murphy's called "Last Orders".[12] It was created byProduction I.G (the creators ofGhost in the Shell), and directed byHiroyuki Kitakubo.[12] The 60-second film features six fierce samurai who rush through a post-futuristic megalopolis to make it on time for the last order at their favourite pub. It was the first anime style commercial film ever aired in the UK and Ireland.[12]
Murphy's Irish Stout is the main sponsor of theCork Athletic Union League, anassociation football league featuring amateur and junior clubs fromCounty Cork.[13] They were also the title sponsor of theIrish Open golf tournament from1994 to2002.[14]
{{cite journal}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)For most of its first 135 years, Murphy's was available only in draft form in pubs throughout Ireland. A packaging innovation (draughtflow cans) was launched in October 1992. A plastic device (called a widget) is fitted into the bottom of the can which nitrates the liquid after the can is opened, creating the famous creamy head and giving the product a publike taste.
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