Louth duo take top honour for innovative non-alcoholic beer

Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne, from Dundalk, Louth, were recently awarded the Irish Drink Award for their innovative and flavour driven non-alcoholic beer at The Irish Food Writers’ Guild 2026 Food Awards. Their Fierce Mild non-alcoholic beers were served along with canapés as guests arrived.

The awards took place on Tuesday at a ceremony held at Ananda at Dundrum Town Centre, as invited producers, chefs, food writers and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the very best of Irish food.

Launched in 2024 by childhood friends and brothers-in-law Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne, Fierce Mild is an alcohol-free beer made in Louth. Unlike other big name brands on the market Fierce Mild does not strip alcohol out of the beer after brewing – instead they use a specialised yeast that naturally limits fermentation.

According to Fierce Mild: "Each beer is crafted with carefully selected, locally sourced premium malts and hops, chosen for quality and depth of flavour. Just five natural ingredients. No additives. No preservatives. And only 49 calories."

In under two years, Fierce Mild has earned significant national recognition, including Gold at Blas na hÉireann, selection for Food Works (Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland), the inaugural Love Irish Food × Sky Media Taste of TV Fund, and being crowned the winner at the IMAGE Media & Samsung Ireland “The Pitch” competition in 2025. Now available in over 500 venues nationwide, and with a new non-alcoholic variant launching next month, Fierce Mild is raising the bar for Irish-made, premium, non-alcoholic beer.

Welcoming guests, Chairperson Paula McIntyre said it was,  “My very great pleasure to welcome you all to Ananda for today’s Food Awards presentation and lunch” and extended, “a particularly warm welcome to all our 2026 award winners, who have travelled from Cork, Clare, Derry, Louth, Fermanagh, Wicklow and Galway.” 

Reflecting on the Guild’s history, she noted that the awards were launched in 1993 to highlight the work of small, independent Irish food producers and organisations of the highest quality.

“More than 30 years later, we're proud to celebrate the food and drinks that are the cornerstones of Ireland’s reputation as a provider of wholesome, innovative and sustainable food.”

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She emphasised the independence of the judging process, stating that the Guild prides itself “on the integrity of the awards through our unique nomination and judging process, with members remaining the sole nominating and decision making body". Describing this year’s winners, she said, “The IFWG Food Awards are a celebration of this country’s thriving, world-class artisan food and drink industry."

Paula McIntyre also thanked Bord Bia for its continued support of the awards, and expressed appreciation to Asheesh Dewan and Rupa Dewan and the team at Ananda for hosting. Paula also acknowledged Whelehan’s Wines for their generous sponsorship and thanked Presence Plus for PR support, Guild secretary Katia Valadeau for her work behind the scenes, photographer Paul Sherwood for showcasing the winners so beautifully, and Guild members for nominating and championing outstanding Irish food and drink .