Shane Holohan
Hot creative. On tap.
[ they said ]
Create the Smithwick's Experience
in Kilkenny, from scratch -
in a 19th Century malt store on
the site of the original brewery.
And while you're at it - position the Smithwick's Brand at the forefront of ale craft, at a time when craft-beer
is increasingly associated with small production facilities and quirky flavours.
Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny - Overview
[ we said ]
Real craft is born of necessity,
forged in adversity,
perfected over generations.
Now that isn't something you can learn in a weekend.
Pitch Mood Film
We wanted to bring the visitors on
a ride, to tease them with the sights,
sounds, smells and tastes of
Smithwick's so that they'd be literally
gagging for a pint by the time they reach
the tasting bar 70 minutes later.
We took 300 years
of brewing heritage ...
... a blank and slightly torn canvas ...
...and added a holographic monk, an interactive gas mask, arguing family portraits, SensoryFX, warm malt, mash
to mix, wort to taste, a laser-beamed yeast vault, tons of brewing equipment , 9 days of shooting and a year and
a half of graft.
[ and they said ]
Oooh! ... and Aaah! .... and they posted
lots of nice things about us on
social media. And Lonely Planet said
it was number 4 on their list of
brilliant new things to see
if you're bored with the usual stuff.
The generations of Smithwicks argue after dinner in the drawing room
of the first house in Kilkenny with running water.
The family portraits
The warm feel and sweet scent of malting barley tantalise as the maltster shows you how it has been done for hundreds of years.
The malt house
Play Film
Original brewing vessels fitted with AV screens and sensoryFX bring the brew process to life. You mix your own mash and taste the sweet wort.
The brew house
Play Film
The war came, Smithwicks soldiered on.
With a mixture of archive photos, newsreel footage and animation we tell the story how rationing challenged the brewers and the family.
A nice cuppa.
Adding hops is just like making tea - and the flavours of hops are as varied as teas. Smell the hop essences and see if you can recognise them in your pint.
Precious, precious yeast.
Not long to go now.
Welcome to the tasting room,
the temple of Smithwick's.
© Shane Holohan 2016