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Where is Caffrey's Irish Ale brewed?

By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check

Sold as foreign, brewed in Britain

Caffrey's Irish Ale is sold as a beer from Ireland. It is brewed in Britain, at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

What to drink instead 6 beers on the same shelves that are what they say

Every beer on the shelf by strength · How the units are worked out

Brewed for the UK in
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire (Tower Brewery)
Brewed in Britain
Sold as a beer from
Ireland
'Irish Ale', Caffrey family and Ulster Brewery (Belfast) heritage
Brewed in (country)
United Kingdom
Brand owner
Molson Coors Beverage Company
HQ: United States / Canada
UK strength
3.8%
2.2 units a pint
Strength at home (Ireland)
Not confirmed
Launched at 5.2% (1994), cut to 4.2% (2001), then 3.8% (from 2010) per Wikipedia. Current 3.8% not confirmed on a retailer page.
What the UK label says
We have not yet read the wording on a UK pack or listing.
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
UK rights held by
Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd (owned)
Style
Nitrogenated Irish-style ale
Brand created
1994, United Kingdom
Brewed at home in
Ulster Brewery, Belfast, Northern Ireland (closed 2005)

What we have not confirmed

The owner and the Tadcaster brewery are confirmed by Molson Coors. The 3.8% strength is supported by Molson Coors' 2010 announcement, reported in Campaign, and by an archived wholesale listing, but we have not found a current supermarket pack at any chain; Caffrey's is mainly sold on draught. There is no Irish retail listing either, so there is no home strength to compare.

If you have a can or bottle to hand, the producer's name and address in the small print would settle it.

In short

Caffrey's Irish Ale is sold in Britain as a beer from Ireland. The cues are 'Irish Ale', Caffrey family and Ulster Brewery (Belfast) heritage. The UK supply comes out of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, brewed by Molson Coors. It is 3.8%. There is no Irish original to compare with: the brand was created in 1994 by Molson Coors Beverage Company for the UK market. On the recipe: Two strength cuts since launch (5.2 to 4.2 to 3.8%).

Who has brewed it here

YearsBrewerSiteSource
1994 to 2005Bass Ireland / Interbrew / Coors at the Ulster BreweryBelfasten.wikipedia.org
2005 to nowCoors Brewers / Molson Coors UKTadcaster (current, per Molson Coors)molsoncoors.com

Questions people ask

Where is Caffrey's Irish Ale brewed?

The beer sold in the UK is brewed at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire by Molson Coors.

Is Caffrey's Irish Ale brewed in the UK?

Yes. It is brewed at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

Is Caffrey's Irish Ale really Irish?

The branding is Irish, but the beer sold in Britain is brewed in the UK at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

Who owns Caffrey's Irish Ale?

Caffrey's Irish Ale is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company, headquartered in United States / Canada. In the UK the brand is handled by Molson Coors Brewing Company Ltd.

What strength is Caffrey's Irish Ale in the UK?

Caffrey's Irish Ale is 3.8% ABV in the UK. A UK pint is 2.2 units.

Which beers are similar to Caffrey's Irish Ale?

Other beers sold as Irish in the UK include Guinness 0.0, Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout.

See also

Guinness 0.0
Imported from Ireland · 0.0% · sold as Irish
Guinness Draught
Imported from Ireland · 4.1% · sold as Irish
Guinness Extra Stout
Imported from Ireland · 4.2% · sold as Irish
Genuine import
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
Imported from Nigeria · 7.5% · sold as Irish
Harp Lager
Imported from Ireland · sold as Irish
Murphy's Irish Stout
Tadcaster · 4.0% · sold as Irish
Brewed here

Every beer sold as Ireland · What else is brewed at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire · Every brand owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company

Last checked 9 September 2026. How we check.

Sources

  1. Molson Coors (molsoncoors.com): Caffrey's brewed at Tadcaster
  2. Molson Coors (molsoncoors.com): brand in Molson Coors portfolio
  3. Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org): secondary: 1994 launch, ABV cuts, Ulster Brewery closure 2005
  4. Campaign (campaignlive.co.uk), 11 March 2010: Molson Coors: 'the ABV of Caffrey's Draught will be reduced from 4.2% to 3.8%'.

Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. mark@pretendpint.com