Nitro stout from Northern Irish craft brewer

Hercules Brewing Company, Belfast's first craft brewery in almost 160 years, has launched Ireland's first craft nitro can stout - Yardsman Original Double Stout Nitro Can (4.3%ABV).

The innovative packaging method, which qualifies the creamy Belfast Double Stout as a nitro stout, involves 'nitrogenising the can' by replacing CO2 with nitrogen. This adds a new dimension giving it a smoother finish with fine bubbles to deliver the same characteristics and quality of draft beer.

A traditional Belfast Double Stout which has a rich creamy mouthfeel and is perfectly balanced. It has a rich, dark colour with lots of roasted malty characteristics and delicate chocolate and coffee notes.

The cans come with special instructions to 'Shake, crack and pour' for the perfect serve; the gentle shake activates the nitrogen within the beverage meaning you can pour straight from the can and watch as the distinct creamy layer settles on top.

The traditional Yardsman Original Double Stout first came to market in November 2015, the fourth in a line of award-winning craft beers produced by the Belfast brewery, and was only available to buy in draft form from bars. Since its launch, international drinks industry veteran and creator of Yardsman, Niall McMullan, has been researching the nitro can to perfect his own draft quality stout in a can, without using the better known patented widget technology.

"Nitrogen infused drinks of all sorts have been rising in popularity in recent years and when I first heard about it I was excited about its potential so I immediately started thinking about how we could produce something of our own," Mr McMullan says.

"I loved the idea of using the old traditions of brewing used by the original Hercules Brewing Company in the 1800s with this innovative technique. As is the nature with craft beer, it has been a fine art perfecting this nitro stout to a standard that our customers expect and I'm delighted to be able to introduce the first craft brewed nitro can stout in Ireland."

Yardsman is a unique offering in the craft beer market which uses only the finest natural ingredients with no chemicals or preservatives added. With a brewing process that is a nod to its rich Belfast heritage locally sourced products including Irish malt, its own yeast strain and Belfast water are filtered through Irish linen, allowing the beers to condition and take on the complexity of flavours which create its award winning taste.

Yardsman Original Double Stout is now available to buy in 330ml nitro cans in restaurants and off-licenses across Northern Ireland.