Leeds brewery apologises after featuring partitionist map on ‘Emerald Isle’ can art

Fiona Frawley

three beer cans with green, 'Irish' themed labelling

“We’ll be honest – we really messed this up”.

Leeds Brewery Northern Monk have issued a statement apologising for the can art on a beer they recently released named Emerald Isle.

At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be anything outrageously offensive about the can. The usual Americanised Irish tropes (four-leafed clovers, ‘Erin Go Bragh’ patches, hurls beside sliotars the size of basketballs, the works) but on a closer look, you’ll see it there, staring up at you from the bottom of the can. A ‘map’ of Ireland, with the North cut out like it’s a Sky News weather report.

"You know nobody in Ireland calls it 'The Emerald Isle', right?"

"Good point. Better put it on the label twice. Get that fada off 'Éire' and put in more American tropes: 'Erin Go Bragh', four-leafed clover, that sort of thing."

"OK boss."

"AND MAKE IT PARTITIONIST!" pic.twitter.com/AYpzeb2miV

— The Beer Nut (@thebeernut) December 5, 2022

Shout out also to the counties deemed worthy of a shout out on the cans, with Drogheda thrown in there too for good measure.

Northern Monk have since withdrawn the beer from public sale and released a statement, apologising for their ‘naivety and ignorance’.

The statement reads:

We’ll be honest – we really messed this up.

No excuses, no blaming processes or internal missteps. It’s a massive mistake. Our OFS series every month has focused on a different country or region with icons and graphics depicting imagery from the destination and a map. We’ve put every series together, whether it’s Denmark, Argentina, Czechia, Turkey, Spain, Rwanda, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada, or New Zealand, with the genuine aim of it being a tribute and celebration, collaborating with breweries from around the world. But we recognise that on this, especially the map combined with the term Ireland, we got it wrong. This is on our own naivety and ignorance.

We would never intentionally want to offend, upset or anger people, but this clearly has and we are very sorry.

We have withdrawn these three beers from sale.

Some people have taken to the comments to suggest a re-labelling rather than a complete withdrawal of the beer. There’s been no word of Northern Monk releasing the cans with different art as of yet.

Header image via Twitter/@thebeernut