Whitewater Brewery

Whitewater Brewery is a Northern Irish craft brewery based in Castlewellan, County Down. Bernard Sloan and his wife, Kerry, founded the brewery in 1996 on the family farm, placing it within the small but distinctive brewing sector of Northern Ireland. The brewery is identified in reference material as the largest microbrewery in Northern Ireland, although no current production figures or independent market measurements are provided here. Whitewater's range is centered on traditional and contemporary small-batch beer styles. Its output has included cask beers, a principal lager, and a changing selection of bottled beers. Frequently recurring bottled products named in reference material include Belfast Ale, Belfast Lager, Belfast Black, Clotworthy Dobbin, Copperhead, Ewe Rebel, Hallion, Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock, Hoppel Hammer, Maggie's Leap, Roll In The Haze, Marado Red, Marado Pale, Irish Whiskey Stout, Upstream Tangerine, and Bee's Endeavour. The listed products span lagers, ales, pale beers, red beers, stouts, stronger specialty beers, and fruit- or hop-oriented releases. Alcohol strengths in the documented range run from 3.7% ABV for Copperhead and Marado Red to 9% ABV for Irish Whiskey Stout. The brand's naming and portfolio indicate a strong regional identity. Several beers reference Belfast, local geography, Irish cultural associations, or the surrounding landscape, while names such as Clotworthy Dobbin and Ewe Rebel give the range a distinctive local and craft-oriented character. The brewery therefore operates not only as a producer of beer but also as a recognizable Northern Irish drinks brand, with products designed for both cask service and packaged retail or hospitality channels. Whitewater has received external recognition for its beers. Clotworthy Dobbin won a single-star Great Taste Award in 2011, and the brewery was included in the World's Top 50 beers at the 2007 International Beer Challenge. These distinctions provide evidence of competition success, but the available material does not establish the brewery's complete award history, current distribution footprint, ownership structure, revenue, or present management team. Its current status is treated as active because the reference describes the brewery and its production in the present tense.

Whitewater Brewery was established in 1996 by Bernard Sloan and his wife, Kerry, on the Sloan family farm in Castlewellan, County Down. Its origins give the business a rural and locally rooted identity, while its location places it within Northern Ireland's developing craft-brewing tradition. The available reference material does not provide a detailed account of the founders' earlier careers, the brewery's original equipment, its initial production volume, or the first beers released. Over time, Whitewater developed a mixed production model incorporating cask beers, a key lager, and bottled beers. Rather than being defined by one permanent product, the brewery's range has changed over time, with a number of recurring beers appearing across its portfolio. These include Belfast Ale, Belfast Lager, Belfast Black, Clotworthy Dobbin, Copperhead, Ewe Rebel, Hallion, Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock, Hoppel Hammer, Maggie's Leap, Roll In The Haze, Marado Red, Marado Pale, Irish Whiskey Stout, Upstream Tangerine, and Bee's Endeavour. The range covers approachable lower-strength beers as well as stronger and more specialized products. Documented alcohol levels range from 3.7% ABV to 9% ABV. The brewery's portfolio reflects two complementary strategies. First, it maintains recognizable regional cues through names connected with Belfast, local places, and Irish or Northern Irish character. Second, it experiments across styles and flavor profiles, including red beer, pale beer, stout, lager, hop-focused beer, and a tangerine-associated specialty beer. This combination allows Whitewater to function as both a local brewery and a producer with a varied craft-beer identity. Whitewater's external recognition includes a 2007 International Beer Challenge distinction, where the brewery was included in the World's Top 50 beers, and a 2011 single-star Great Taste Award for bottled Clotworthy Dobbin. The available source does not specify whether these awards applied to the brewery generally or to particular entries beyond the identified Clotworthy Dobbin award. Reference material describes Whitewater as Northern Ireland's largest microbrewery. No production statistics, employee figures, financial data, ownership changes, distribution agreements, or later corporate developments are supplied. Accordingly, the brewery's historical record can be documented confidently from its 1996 founding, its Castlewellan base, its broad beer portfolio, and its cited competition recognition, while its later operational history and current leadership require additional sourcing.

• 2011

  Great Taste Award for Clotworthy Dobbin

  [1]Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The bottled Clotworthy Dobbin beer received a single-star Great Taste Award.

• 2007

  International Beer Challenge recognition

  [1]Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Whitewater Brewery was included in the World's Top 50 beers at the International Beer Challenge.

• 1996

  Whitewater Brewery founded

  [1]Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Bernard Sloan and Kerry Sloan founded Whitewater Brewery on the family farm in Castlewellan, County Down.

A regional Northern Irish craft brewery combining farm-based local identity with a broad portfolio of cask, bottled, lager, ale, stout, and specialty beers.

• Lager

  Belfast Lager

  A recurring Whitewater lager associated with Belfast in its name. The documented version is listed at 4.5% ABV and forms part of the brewery's packaged beer range.

• Ale

  Belfast Ale

  A recurring bottled ale carrying a strong Northern Irish regional identity through its Belfast name. It is listed at 4.5% ABV in the reference material.

• Ale

  Clotworthy Dobbin

  A bottled Whitewater beer listed at 5.0% ABV. It is one of the brewery's specifically recognized products, receiving a single-star Great Taste Award in 2011.

• Stout

  Irish Whiskey Stout

  A stronger specialty stout listed at 9% ABV. Its name signals an Irish whiskey-related character, although the available source does not provide a detailed recipe or production description.

• Strong ale

  Ewe Rebel

  A high-strength bottled beer listed at 7.0% ABV. It represents the brewery's stronger craft-beer offerings and uses the distinctive naming style found across Whitewater's portfolio.

• Dark beer

  Belfast Black

  A recurring bottled dark beer associated with Belfast in its branding. The documented version is listed at 4.5% ABV.

• Craft beer

  Bee's Endeavour

  A recurring bottled Whitewater beer listed at 4.8% ABV. The available reference identifies the product but does not specify its exact style or flavor profile.

• Craft beer

  Copperhead

  A lower-strength Whitewater beer listed at 3.7% ABV. Further style and ingredient information is not provided in the available source.

• Craft beer

  Hallion

  A recurring beer in Whitewater's bottled range, listed at 4.2% ABV. The reference does not identify a more specific style.

• Hoppy beer

  Hoppel Hammer

  A stronger beer listed at 6.0% ABV. Its name suggests a hop-forward positioning, but the source does not provide technical style details.

• Craft beer

  Maggie's Leap

  A recurring bottled beer listed at 4.7% ABV. The available material does not specify its style or detailed sensory profile.

• Hazy craft beer

  Roll In The Haze

  A Whitewater beer listed at 5.0% ABV. Its name indicates a haze-oriented craft-beer concept, although no further production details are documented.

• Red beer

  Marado Red

  A red beer listed at 3.7% ABV and included among Whitewater's recurring products.

• Pale beer

  Marado Pale

  A pale beer listed at 4% ABV. It sits alongside Marado Red in the brewery's documented range.

• Craft beer

  Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock

  A recurring bottled beer listed at 4.8% ABV. The source identifies the product but does not specify its formal style.

• Fruit-associated craft beer

  Upstream Tangerine

  A specialty beer listed at 5.5% ABV, with a tangerine reference in its name. The available source does not state whether tangerine is added as an ingredient or describes the beer's flavor profile.

• 2011

  Clotworthy Dobbin receives a Great Taste Award[1]Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The bottled Clotworthy Dobbin beer received a single-star Great Taste Award in 2011.

• 2007

  Whitewater Brewery included in the International Beer Challenge's World's Top 50 beers[1]Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Whitewater Brewery was reported as having a beer included among the World's Top 50 beers at the 2007 International Beer Challenge.

1. 1Whitewater Breweryen.wikipedia.org