Donegal Brewing Company

Dicey Reilly’s bar has been in his family for almost 40 years. In the 1980s, they opened an Off-Licence at the end of the bar counter which had its own entrance and they began to develop a deeper understanding of the products they were serving. This developed into a purpose built Off-Licence adjacent to the existing bar in 2003.
“The bar was in the family for 39 years and we opened an Off-Licence around 25 years ago that was a small hatch off the end of the bar and had a separate entrance,” says Brendan. “Around that time, we started experimenting with different beers, mainly mainstream beers, anything at all we could get our hands on up here in Donegal. We tried out different things with our customers and it developed from that, I suppose.”
To say that their Off-Licence has become a success would be an understatement. They have won the Connacht/Ulster Off-Licence of the Year Award every year bar one since 2004 and they have been awarded the coveted National Off-Licence of the Year Award in the last two consecutive years, 2013 and 2014.
“We’re absolutely delighted that we’re the winners of the National Off-Licence of the Year 2013 and 2014,” says Brendan. “We were Connacht-Ulster winners for eight years before that. I suppose being involved in the awards has helped us create a blueprint for the business so we can keep our standards high and push the business forward. To think that up here in Donegal we could win the National Off-Licence of the year, and to look back over the previous winners, it’s a real privilege.”
The next thing to do, I suppose, would be to brew your own beer.

Author: Caroline Porsiel

Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.