Resurrecting a Centuries-old Brand for the Modern World

Sullivan’s Brewing Co.

When the last brewery in Kilkenny shut its doors in 2013, the most authentic beer brewing city in all of Ireland—one with over 800 years of brewing tradition—was left without its most important craft. That’s why a 7th generation descendent of Kilkenny’s Sullivan brewing family partnered with a descendant of the City’s other long-time brewing family, the Smithwicks, to bring real Irish brewing back to its rightful home, Kilkenny, with the resurrection of Sullivan’s Brewery. Sullivan’s engaged Trinity Brand Group to re-launch this storied craft brewery brand in Ireland and position it for growth through export.

Brand Strategy
Creative Strategy
Identity Design
Packaging Systems Design
Identity Toolbox
Brand Standards & Usage Guidelines
Photography & Imagery Style Guide
Promotional Packaging Design
Environmental Design
Sales & Marketing Materials Design
Brand Voice
Tagline Development
Design Research

Sullivan's Brewing Company glass of beer with headline, Brewing is in our Blood.

Trinity first developed the brand strategy ‘Kilkenny’s Brewery’ to convey the brand’s roots and pride in its home and community. The strategy serves as the driving force behind everything the brand does. Design celebrates the city and spirit of Kilkenny, with a strong nod to its past and a complete embrace of its future. The wordmark, with contemporary letterforms inspired by traditional Irish pub signs, includes the place and established date to drive home the interconnectedness of Sullivan’s with Kilkenny past and present. And the Kilkenny skyline captures the historical place and the sense of craftsmanship and artistry the city is known for.

Sullivan's Brewing Company 6-pack of beer, Maltings Irish Ale and Irish Gold Ale.

The (sky)line art also provides a secondary graphical toolkit for the brand that, with a flexible iconography system, a bold color palette, and even bolder secondary typography, we extended to an immersive taproom experience, custom posters, signage and merchandise, always used to tell the unique story of this historic brand.

Sullivan's Brewing Company headline, The Lost Bet, with a horse illustration.

Sullivan's Brewing Company social media posts.

Since launch, Sullivan’s has expanded its portfolio and gained an expansive global distribution network - now in over 35 US states and in multiple countries across Europe.