Irish Ale label features Sullivan’s Pub

By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
Jerry Cremin, proprietor of Sullivan’s Public House in downtown Oxford, appreciates a traditional Irish Red Ale. So he was eager to help when Austin Brother’s Beer Co. in Alpena, Michigan, reached out to him last year for his expertise on all things Irish. With his input, the brewers came up with a recipe Cremin says is “representative” of a true Irish Red.
“The brewers at Austin Brothers are absolutely fantastic,” he said. “They did a world class job. I’m very proud of how it tastes.”
The label describes the drink as “Amber in color, medium in body, with a nice hint of malt sweetness. One sip of O’Donoghue’s Irish Ale will make you think you have left Michigan for the Emerald Isle.”
Cremin advised not only what went inside the can, but how the packaging looks, too. “We wanted to make sure it was as authentically Irish as possible.” The label is based on a sketch of Sullivan’s bar by a regular customer. The green, black and yellow colors follow the design of the football jerseys from County Kerry in Ireland, where Cremin is from.
“O’Donoghue’s Irish Ale” is named after his mother’s surname. She has not had a chance to try it yet, but she is honored. “What mother wouldn’t want a beer named after her?” Back in Ireland, the O’Donoghues are steeped in hospitality and Irish tradition, owning many hotels.
The beer is for sale by the can at local gas stations, Lake Orion Kroger, on tap at the brewery in Alpena, and of course at Sullivan’s Pub in Oxford.
The pub at 23 N. Washington opened at 7 a.m. today for a traditional Irish breakfast. St. Paddy’s festivities will continue throughout the day, with live entertainment from 10 a.m. Indoor is by reservation only, but an outdoor heated tent is available for walk-ins.

  Jerry Cremin