Meet Fierce Mild, a premium Irish non-alcoholic beer and winner of The Pitch 2025

We may have a reputation as a country of drinkers, but Ireland’s relationship with alcohol is changing. According to the  Drinkaware Barometer 2025 survey, almost half the population would like to drink less, with 39% suggesting late-night places with a strong non-alcoholic menu as a good alternative.

The issue is, finding a decent non-alcoholic drink is no easy feat. Most alcohol-free beers taste like a beer that’s had its alcohol and flavour stripped from it, leaving a tasteless, ghost of a beer.

Childhood friends and brothers-in-law Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne are changing that. Their first beer from their non-alcoholic only brewery in Co Louth, Fierce Mild, is an unapologetically great-tasting Irish beer you choose for the depth of flavour, complexity of palate that uses locally sourced ingredients… and also happens to be non-alcoholic.

And the whole country seems to agree. Only launched in 2024, Fierce Mild is already available in over 450 locations around Ireland, including nationally in Dunnes and Tesco – and the duo topped off a very successful 2025 when they were crowned winners of The Pitch back in September.

“This is beyond anything we expected,” said Fergal after winning The Pitch 2025. “It puts a real spotlight on us in a category that’s evolving quickly and until now has been controlled by big names. The IMAGE element of the prize, along with the business mentorship, will guide us through the things we’re still learning. We know our strengths, we know what we can do, but having that support is incredible. And Samsung, that’ll be a total game-changer for us.”

The Pitch isn’t the brand’s first taste of success either. In 2025, Fierce Mild also won the first-ever ‘Taste of TV’ fund by Love Irish Food and Sky Media, gold at Blas na hÉireann and was named Innovator to Watch by The Irish Times. But the project is by no means an overnight success. Fergal and Cathal lived abroad (Fergal in Australia and Cathal in Canada) for almost a decade, where the NA beer scene was thriving, when they spotted a gap in the Irish market. Fergal first began developing the recipe in Melbourne in 2016, before they both returned to Dundalk to establish Ireland’s first independently owned non-alcoholic only brewery, and source its five ingredients – water, barley, wheat, hops and yeast – as locally as possible to create a characterful, authentically Irish non-alcoholic beer that does not short out on taste.

Key to ensuring that the beer keeps its depth of flavour is the specialist yeast that limits fermentation, meaning the beer retains its character the whole way through the process, without any alcohol. Without any of the typical preservatives, additives, colouring or flavourings that you might find in the bigger brands, Fierce Mild is brewed in a fully natural process that keeps that complex, hoppy flavour intact, without compromising on ingredients and has the bonus of being good for your gut health too.

So whether you’re the designated driver for the night, have an early alarm set for the morning, or you simply want to reduce your alcohol intake for your own health and lifestyle, there’s now a delicious option that won’t have you considering calling it a night before you’re ready.

Photography by Aaron Lally and Conor Lally

Fierce Mild’s multi-award-winning and critically acclaimed flagship Extra Pale Ale is now pouring in 450+ venues nationwide and is available online at fiercemild.co.