Introduce yourself

My name is Liam Tutty and I own The Irish Craft Soda Company. I’ve a fairly broad background having worked in media and marketing for 10 years before opening a brewery in Athlone, Co. Westmeath in 2019.

What inspired you to join the natural food sector?

With experience as a brewer, I had a keen interest in beverages in general and noticed that while the variety of craft beers, wines from small family vineyards and coffee brands was exploding, that the soda market seemed completely static. That’s really what drove me.  I really wanted to tackle that, to create a range of sodas that are uncompromising yet completely honest. I wanted to use the best ingredients, not the cheapest ingredients and wanted to make sure that each ingredient was completely natural, so we don’t use any foaming agent, artificial preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate, artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners etc. Watch for big brands that say ‘flavourings’ on their ingredients. That’s a wildly broad statement!

Where did you get the idea for your brand?

Everywhere really, but a lot of the process I pulled from experience in the craft beer industry and understood that our mission is not to get people to drink more soft drinks…it’s to get people to drink better soft drinks.

What makes your brand unique?

I think The Irish Craft Soda Company is relatable to a certain extent because it’s sort of nostalgic. It’s a simpler soda made with simpler ingredients and reminds drinkers of a simpler time. Maybe it’s a throwback? We pour our souls into the sodas…we’re not trying to knock out the most generic drinks from a corporate ‘quicker, cheaper, blander’ approach.

What are your company’s core values?

We firmly believe that you get out what you put in and that a rising tide raises all the boats. That’s why we don’t compromise on ingredients. Once that starts to slide, it’s a slippery slope so at the core of what we do is a want to continually improve. On the value of a rising tide, we’re keen to work with other small producers. To collaborate where we can on limited edition sodas that highlight other great artisans in Ireland. We’re currently working with the guys in Beara Bitters on something really cool (but that’s all on the QT for now)!

How do you support your community?

We’re lucky to have had the brewery (Dead Centre, which is based in our bar and restaurant in Athlone) up and running before I launched the soda company, so we’ve been able to create a community space that’s accepting of everyone that crosses the door. We’ve helped to sponsor and host events with Midlands Pride, we are staunch supports of the Athlone Sub Aqua Club who undertake vital recovery work for missing persons in the River Shannon and we are the proud title sponsors of Athlone GAA for the 2025 season.

What has been the most rewarding part of your brands journey?

Just the reach we’ve managed to achieve and the connections we’ve made along the way. I feel that for so long the soft drinks selection in Ireland has been painfully static. I figured that the big boys would have everything on lockdown, but I’ve been so pleasantly surprised. Retailers really seem to be thirsty (pardon the pun) for a soft drink that supports indigenous jobs, tastes great and is 100% natural. There’s a pride for retails in being able to list all the ingredients in our Lemonade in one breath and without having to consult a dictionary to understand some of the ingredients!

What in your opinion makes Irish brands unique?

Well, unfortunately there are fewer and fewer of them and once the buy outs occur…the soul starts to seep out of it. Carlsberg Holdings recently purchased Britvic Ireland so what would have been considered iconic Irish brands like Club, Ballygowan and TK are now part of an (even bigger) enormous machine. There’s nothing specifically wrong with that, but the drive there will be for maximum shareholder return, not exceptional quality. I think that’s what separates artisan Irish brand…it’s the passion that carries through the product. The hands-on approach. The attention to detail. The pride we take in making sure that the customer gets the very very best.

What is your favourite product from your brand?

No messing on this question. Rock Shandy. It’s my childhood wedged into a 330ml can!

Tell us about something that has shaped your brand?

Memories. Without a doubt. Everything I draw on is a flashback! Rock Shandy was my jam as a youngster. Our cherry soda is a nod to visits to an elderly relative who lived in the UK, Nancy. We’d visit her maybe once a year when I was small, and every time we arrived the press was loaded with cherry soda.

What do you hope to accomplish in the future?

At the moment, the feedback is so good, we’re paying our rent and wages and I’m not sure I can ask for too much more. We’re doing what we love and others seem to love it too. I would obviously like to sell more soft drinks…get the cans into more hands, but I’m not aiming for worldwide sales. Just world class soda! My aim for the future is to keep raising eyebrows, driving for better and to establish a rota of seasonal or limited-edition sodas that are statements, that tell our story.