THE SMITHWICK’S STORY

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Survival against the odds, the courage to follow your own path, the determination to never give up, the ability to find solutions where others only see problems, a loyalty to those around you and a sense of what’s important in life – these are the characteristics that took a family that started with next to nothing and helped them create a brewing dynasty that has flourished for almost 300 years. This is the Smithwick’s story…

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A CITY STEEPED IN BREWING TRADITION

A DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED

The Smithwick’s story starts long before a Smithwick ever set foot in Kilkenny. In the 13th century monks settled at St. Francis Abbey with quality water straight from the Friar’s well and using natural ingredients that surrounded the abbey in abundance it is possible that these monks began brewing on the site. For more than 300 years the Abbey grew as the Franciscan monks spread the good word, possibly helped by a brew or two! Their expansion was rapidly halted however when Henry VIII introduced Reformation in 1537 and the dissolution of all Irish monasteries began. After 300 years the Abbey was forced to close its doors. By then though, the good people of Kilkenny had got a taste for Ale, as evidenced by the number of recorded micro-breweries. This was a City that knew its beer, if a new beer was going to steal their hearts it would have to be something special.

When John Smithwick moved to Kilkenny in the early 1700s to forge a life for himself, the cards were stacked against him. It was a time of penal laws and John as a catholic was forbidden from owning property, running for elected office or even entering the forces of the law. Society saw him and those like him as second-class citizens. Fortune wasn’t going to come easily. Shortly after Smithwick's arrival in Kilkenny, John went into the brewing business with Richard Cole on a piece of land that Cole had leased from the Duke of Ormond in 1705. He worked hard and obviously impressed because in 1710 he became the owner (albeit a secret one). With a taste of success his confidence grew and in time so did his business interests. The brewery stayed small, servicing a loyal local following while John Smithwick diversified. At a time when it was very rare, he was one of the few merchants who made a brisk trade selling tea (an early sign that the Smithwick family had a knack for spotting drinks sure to satisfy).

KNOWING WHEN TO DO QUIETLY CONFIDENT BUT CAUTIOUSLY SILENT WHAT’S RIGHT John Smithwick spent decades stealthily using his wit and keeping his business affairs private. His strategy worked and slowly but surely he quietly built a fortune of wealth in both land and commerce. People liked doing business with the mysterious Mr. Smithwick. His was a name that had earned respect, although the laws still forbid him attaching it to anything. After John’s death the family continued to prosper and when penal laws were finally revoked in the late 1700’s they were free take their rightful place in Kilkenny society. However, John’s sons didn’t follow him into the brewing trade and the small business that had started the family’s fortune fell out of their hands. Fortunately, it would not be for long.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF Edmond Smithwick, son of John Smithwick II, was born in 1800 and like his grandfather brewing and ambition was in his blood. When he was just 27 he bought the brewery back freehold and for the first time the Smithwick family name hung proudly above the door. He proved himself a natural businessman. At a time when breweries were closing all over Ireland he concentrated on discovering new markets. Soon he had built a healthy export trade. Drinkers in England, Scotland and Wales were getting a taste for Smithwick’s brilliant brews and output increased fivefold.

The people of the city gave Edmond the respect he deserved and four times voted him Mayor of Kilkenny. In return he gave generously to the city. When famine hit in 1847, he and rival brewer Richard Sullivan put competition aside to set up a soup kitchen that would feed the poor and needy. He also made substantial contributions to the construction of St. Mary’s Cathedral and became a great supporter of Catholic Emancipation, a cause close to his family’s heart. As a result, Edmond became great friends with the Irish Liberator, Daniel O Connell who later became godfather to one of his sons, Daniel O’Connell Smithwick.

EXTRAORDINARY CARE MAKES AN EXTRAORDINARY BREW Edmond started a tradition of always employing the most skilled people. Expert brewers brought scientific and technical innovations and the result gave Smithwicks beers a quality second to none. He even employed consultant chemists to check both his raw ingredients and the final brew. What was a small almost obscure city brewery was now a business to be reckoned with.

UNWAVERING ENDURANCE AND UNBEATABLE INGENUITY Edmond’s sons followed him into the business, but in the late 1800’s export sales began to fall. In England and Scotland public houses were tied to specific breweries to fight competition and create captive markets. Export business was suffering but the Smithwick family found a way. They increased production in their maltings, began selling mineral water and even delivered butter with the ale from the back of their drays. Times were tight but the business survived and in 1892 Smithwick’s won 1st prize in Dublin’s Rotunda Exhibition of Brewers and Distillers.

TRIUMPH AGAINST ALL ODDS James Smithwick, or Mr. James as he was known, took the reigns in 1900. At the time Smithwick’s employed 200 people but output was down to 10,000 barrels per annum. The fortunes of the company were at an all time low. Auditors recommended the brewery shut its doors but the Smithwick instinct for survival said no and the family dug deep into their own pockets to keep the business going. James reduced the range of beers they produced and once again set out to find new markets. He won military contracts for the sale of beer to garrisoned troops. Output increased. He took advantage of brewery closures in England to affordably replace and upgrade his machinery. A municipal water supply was introduced in Kilkenny that was extremely pure and low in salt. It was perfect for brewing ales and eliminated dependence on local well waters. He even took the opportunity to acquire his longstanding rival Sullivan’s Kilkenny Breweries Ltd. This not only increased his trade but also provided vitally needed brewing machinery right on his door step. Serendipity it seemed was very much on his side and in 1920 when the brewery experienced it’s first strike; luck was his friend once again. The strike forced James to reduce his range to just two different ales but it also gave him focus. If he was going to make ale it was going to be the best.

KILKENNY’S NO.1 BECOMES EVERYONE ELSE’S NO.1 In 1930, James’s son Walter took control. He realised distribution was the key to success and began incentivising sales agents all over Ireland. On top of salaries, they earned a commission on every barrel sold. He also purchased petrol driven lorries to serve customers in the remote west of Ireland. Walter Smithwick marketed his naturally conditioned bottled ale as Smithwick’s No.1 and large slogans referring to it began to appear on buses, trams and in newspapers all over Ireland. His campaign showed remarkable foresight because on the 8th of Oct 1937 Smithwick’s No.1 won first prize at the London Bottled Beer Competition. The company now had a national brand superior to all of its competitors.

PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, FLOODS AND GOOD FORTUNE World War II brought more challenges. When increased petrol charges made delivery by truck too expensive, James used his ingenuity and quickly found another route. Beer heading west went by barge and the rest got to its destination by train or by horse & cart. Raw materials were scarce so he looked for alternatives. Oats were used instead of barley and West Indian candy sugar was unavailable for processing so Irish Beet Sugar was used instead.

More malting capacity was required so electrical motors were bought in and the old Sullivan’s Maltings was made operational. Every obstacle was overcome and sales increased. When the war ended business was looking good then in 1947 nature decided to throw a few curve balls. Melting snows caused a major flood at the brewery. The entire site was submerged but luckily all the precious recipes and technical reports were safely stored high on the third floor. In no time the brewery was back in action but the summer that followed was the worst on record. Heavy rains caused a national emergency and threatened the cereal crops. The brewery’s barley harvest was about to be washed away, then the government called the entire Irish army into action to help the farmers. Disaster was avoided and the nation was saved from a minor famine and a major lack of great ale. By 1949 sales had reached a record 51,540 barrels per annum. The next decade was one of competition and expansion. Smithwick’s saw off its major competitor Bass but others were rising from the ashes. Phoenix, Perry’s, Macardle’s and Double Diamond Ale were all competing for market share. These were all produced by Irish Ale Breweries LTD and for a while Smithwick’s sales slowed but ultimately none could match Smithwick’s unique quality and taste. By 1959 Smithwick’s was as popular as ever.

SMITHWICK’S IS HERE TO A BRILLIANT BREWING PARTNERSHIP INVENTS A STAY NEW BREW In 1964 one of Smithwick’s oldest maltings customers, Guinness & Co, bought a controlling share in the business. The following year Walter retired from the board after 35 years service and his son Peter stepped in to take his place. His fresh Smithwick determination and inventiveness combined with the expertise of the Guinness sales force produced one of the greatest success stories of any beer in this century. Together they developed and launched Smithwick’s Draught in 1966. During it’s first year 11,500 barrels were sold but by 1979 a half a million barrels were sold each year. The success didn’t stop there. In 1980, Smithwick’s began exporting to France. In 1982, a 10-year project began to extend and fully automate the brewery. Production capacity increased and exports grew so much that by 1993 Smithwick’s Draught became Canada’s leading imported ale.

The Smithwick’s name had come to mean something to drinkers. Nine generations of Smithwick men worked all their lives to make so. It spoke of quality, reliability and the perfect marriage of technology and tradition. It spoke of independence, confidence and triumph over adversity. Today, you’ll find those same qualities in every pint of Smithwick’s and in everyone involved in making it. As we approach the 300th Anniversary of John Smithwick’s first brew, we look forward to the next exciting chapter in the story of a beer that has never been afraid to do things it’s own way. How that story will unfold is anyone’s guess but if the past is anything to go by then one thing is for certain, Smithwick’s is here to stay.