Cork’s Elbow Lane Micro-Brewery, probably the smallest brewery in Ireland, has announced that it will double it's brewing capacity with match-funding from Cork City’s Local Enterprise Office. 

This development, which will see a €60,000 investment in it's tiny site on Oliver Plunkett Street in the city center, will help the micro-brewery keep up with existing demand and help develop its distribution within the region.

“We are delighted that the Local Enterprise Office has assisted us in the expansion of the Brewery,” says Master Brewer, Russell Garrett. 

“We will now have the capacity to bottle faster, brew larger volumes and age them for longer. 

"Given the growing demand for our beer, we were running out of product twice per year, especially as we condition each brew for four weeks. We are now in a position to be able to fulfill existing demand, develop new beers and start to expand slowly throughout the county."

Elbow Lane Brewery is part of the Market Lane Group which also includes Elbow Lane Smokehouse, Market Lane, Goldie, ORSO and Blackrock Castle restaurants. 

“Encouraging business growth within the city center” is what we are all about as a group, says MD, Conrad Howard. 

“It is great to be part of Cork’s buoyant brewing scene, and now we feel we can play a fuller role in spotlighting the quality of what we brew in the city.” 

Elbow Lane is one of the few Irish breweries that strictly adheres to the principles of the ancient German Purity Law, “Reinheitsgebot”, which means that only four ingredients are used: malted barley, hops, yeast and water. There are no additives; the fermentation of the beer is not artificially accelerated, nor is it filtered – so it is all totally natural.

Elbow Lane has just released an Anti-Imperial Stout called Resist in support of the war in Ukraine. This is now on sale with all profits donated to the International Red Cross. 

For a time, Resist will sit alongside the brewery’s core range of five beers which includes Elbow Lager, Angel Stout, Arrow Weisse, Wisdom Ale and Jawbone Pale Ale.

At present Elbow Lane beers are available through the Market Lane Group of restaurants as well as Off-Licenses such as Bradley’s, the NeighbourFood Market and a limited number of pubs and restaurants in the county.