Forged Irish Stout facility also being chased by suppliers for alleged debts of more than €240,000
Forged is back brewing in the Glasnevin facility.
Forged has found itself at the centre of several disputes in recent weeks, with two suppliers separately pursuing the brand in the High Court over failure to pay alleged debts worth more than €240,000. A petition to wind up one of the companies behind Forged was filed last week by one of these suppliers.
Troubles at Forged have been brewing for some time, with domestic demand dropping significantly after McGregor lost a civil rape case last November. Several of the country’s largest distributors, pub groups and retailers decided to drop the brand.
McGregor at court during his civil rape case. Photo: Getty
Issues persisted into this year, according to multiple industry sources.
Porterhouse, the pub operator and landlord of Forged’s Glasnevin-based brewery, locked the doors of the facility sometime in April after a dispute emerged over alleged unpaid rent, industry sources said.
The rent dispute eased sometime in late August or early September, with Forged allowed back into the facility where brewing has since taken place, sources said. It suggested that some kind of payment or agreement was reached between the parties over the matter.
Forged signed international distribution agreements recently, boosting growth prospects for the stout business.
The Sunday Independent reported last week that Forged secured a distribution agreement for the Nordics, as well as 15 other new markets. These markets are set to open for Forged over the next six months, according to sources.
McGregor first released Forged Irish Stout in 2020, exclusively at The Black Forge Inn pub, which he owns in Crumlin. He had already tasted success in the alcohol industry through his Proper No. Twelve Whiskey brand, which was sold to José Cuervo tequila owner Becle in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions.
FIS’s 0.0 alcohol version sponsored several high-profile sporting events, including Katie Taylor’s bout with Chantelle Cameron in 2023
The former UFC champion indicated he would look to launch the Forged stout brand commercially and expand into international markets.
In 2022, McGregor’s business partners set up a company for the international launch of Forged, with rumours swirling he would look to buy the Porterhouse Brewery in Glasnevin, where the stout was being brewed.
In April 2023, McGregor and Porterhouse agreed on a deal that meant Forged would take on the brewery. The Irish Independent was the first to report the deal.
Forged immediately looked to punch above its weight. Its 0.0 alcohol version sponsored several high-profile sporting events, including Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor’s bout with rival Chantelle Cameron in 2023.
McGregor’s Black Forge Inn on the Drimnagh Road in Crumlin
The stout got off to a bright start, landing big deals in the UK and the US. In Ireland, it secured listings with major retailers, including Supervalu and Centra owner Musgrave, BWG-owned Spar, and the Carry Out Group. Wetherspoons also stocked the stout in its pubs.
However, Forged’s fortunes soured. Three companies behind McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout reported combined losses of more than €9m for 2023.
In November 2024, McGregor lost a civil rape case when a jury found he had raped mother-of-one Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018. In July, the MMA star lost an appeal in the case. He has denied raping Hand.
In the aftermath of the civil rape case, Forged was dropped by several Irish retailers, including Musgrave, BWG and Carry Out. Wetherspoons also stopped selling the stout.
International markets became the key focus for Forged, with McGregor’s popularity remaining resilient in the US. But pressures at home continued to mount.
Aside from the rent dispute with Porterhouse, Forged Stout Production (FSP), one of the companies behind Forged, was facing claims from some of its suppliers over monies allegedly owed to them.
A petition to wind up FSP was lodged over an alleged debt of about €36,000 on behalf of Enterprise Tondelli
FSP lists its directors as Alan Geraghty and Andrew Gelling. Geraghty is the group CEO of McGregor Sports & Entertainment.
Among the first insights into FSP’s troubles emerged when it was hit with a near €10,000 debt judgment by Dundalk-based stainless-steel vessel manufacturer Spectac International last month. It meant Forged had not paid money it owed to Spectac, and the courts accepted the debt was legitimate and owed.
Other suppliers soon followed suit, with Minch Malt, an Irish malt provider based in Athy, Co Kildare, lodging a debt claim for more than €204,000.
Last week, a petition to wind up FSP was lodged over an alleged debt of about €36,000 on behalf of Enterprise Tondelli. The Italian company is a supplier of packaging equipment, canning and bottling machinery and claims it is owed money for goods and services provided between February and April of last year.
The Irish Times reported that Enterprise Tondelli issued a formal demand for payment on September 8 and, when that was not paid within 21 days, it issued its petition.
Enterprise Tondelli has displayed its work with Forged on its website.
According to a post, the Italian company said it was “very proud” to be associated with the Forged project.
At the time of writing, Forged did not respond to a request for comment.
Porterhouse declined to comment.
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