Murphy's Brewery was a brewery

Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 founded in Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 in 1856. It was known as Lady's Well Brewery until it was purchased by Heineken International in 1983, when the name changed to Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. The name of the brewery was recently changed to Heineken Brewery Ireland, Ltd. The brewery produces Heineken, Murphy's stout and other Heineken

Heineken

Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...

 products for the Irish market.

Murphy's Stout

Murphy's is a dry stout

Stout

Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....

. The brewers describe Murphys Irish Stout as "smooth and creamy, with a subtle bitterness," and it is a main competitor of Guinness

Guinness

Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...

.

Murphy's Irish Stout has a slightly nutty flavor with a slight hint of coffee which is less bitter than the Guinness brand of stout. The manufacturers had a television advertising campaign in the UK voiced by actor Tony Clarkin, which played on this fact — "like the Murphy's, I'm not bitter". In the U.S., Murphy's has relied on "discovery" and word of mouth to build the brand. The Murphy's brand hit its volume pinnacle in the U.S. in 1997, but in subsequent years it has declined due to other company priorities.

Irish Red

After the Murphy's brand was bought by Dutch brewer Heineken International, "Irish Red" was launched for the export market, as it was hoped that it would be more popular than stout overseas.

The label copy for Murphy's Irish Red (33cl bottle) states : "Product of the Netherlands".