Milwaukee-based BevNomad – a “beverage accelerator” that expands the reach of domestic and international beers, THC drinks, RTD cocktails and more – is the U.S. partner that’s working to spread the word about Irish brewery The White Hag.
Ballymote, Sligo-based The White Hag has been named Ireland’s top craft brewery twice in the past eight years and has a taproom in the Dublin airport.
Two of the brewery’s beers – Little Fawn Irish IPA and Dagda Extra Hazy Pale Ale – have been brewed for the American market at Milwaukee’s Pilot Project Brewing, according to BevNomad Director of Operations John Graham.
“They did an excellent job,” Graham says. “We have been working hand-in-hand with (The White Hag co-founder) Bob Coggins to make sure our beers made here are as good as he makes them in Ireland.
“We make it here in Wisconsin and sell it in Wisconsin and several states out east.”
Graham says other beers from The White Hag are expected to be added to the American lineup, including , Black Boar Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Serpent Irish Pale Al and White Sow Milk Stout.
The two beers launched in Boston and New York last August and Graham says they notched more than 400 accounts in less than 30 days.
“We are looking at new production partners around the state for continuity of operations and to address growth,” Graham adds.
The beer is currently available in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Wisconsin, and will roll out soon in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and several other states, according to Graham.
“We’re proud to share the spirit of Irish craft brewing with American consumers,” says Coggins.
“Our partnership with BevNomad has allowed us to bring our beers to life here in the U.S. with the same recipes, the same culture, and the same commitment to innovation that defines us at home in Sligo.”
For more on The White Hag, visit thewhitehag.com. To learn more about Milwaukee’s BevNomad – which also counts Motörhead whiskey and a range of Nomad Beer collabs with craft brewers – go to bevnomad.com.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
