Boxer Michael Conlan’s raising a glass to his beer success

A year since the launch of his Le Grá premium lager, boxer Michael Conlan is thrilled at its progress.

Since first appearing in Ibiza in June 2023 to a great reception, in August it was recognised at the World Beer Awards as the top lager representing Ireland, won a gold in the International Lager Category and a gold award for design (new launch).

“The awareness of it is fantastic. The brand itself has already grown very big in a sense. I’ve always found the hardest part is just at home, getting more awareness and more brand building around it. I already have it all over in Spain, all over Ibiza and a few places in the south and one or two places in the North,” he says.

“It’s starting to grow, it’s starting to get there. The distribution side of things is always a little bit tricky but I think we’re finally starting to get to the melting pot now.”

Though progress is a ‘little bit slow at times’, the Olympic athlete is encouraged with feedback.

“People taste it and they can’t believe how nice it is. They must think, I bought this beer, not expecting anything of it. No, I bought a beer that tastes real good and is real good. It’s very quality driven. I’m happy with the progress.”

La Grá’s USP focuses on a special ingredient: shamrock. How difficult was its sourcing?

“It was tricky enough but look how much Irish people in the world, especially in America if you think about it, how much Irish there is there who love Ireland and want to be a part of it all the time,” says Michael.

“We thought, let’s put shamrocks in the beer and see what it can do. It was tricky, we had to get it patented, copyrighted.

“Now we’ve got that we’re rolling, but I thought it was a smart little move on our half. People would really want to be a part of it.

“The luck of the Irish, there’s luck in every bottle, even the bottle caps have shamrocks on them. It’s very Irish based. It’s our little gig, our little twist on it where you can go, this is why our beer is different, it has shamrocks in it, it is a lucky beer, it is brewed in Ireland, it does taste amazing.”

Launching any new initiative, be it in the food industry or otherwise, necessitates much lesson learning. What Michael has taken most from the endeavour is not to get excited ‘too quick’ because ‘things take time’.

“Sometimes you’re thinking [something] is going to come through now and doesn’t happen.

“That’s just something you probably learn in this game, that things have to take time and things have to move at a certain speed. You can’t move at super speed. I like things moving really fast, but you have to be more patient, so I’ve learned patience, definitely. It’s a different world for me, completely different world to what I’m used to. And one that you go into with excitement and you look at it and you’re going, how does this work, how does that work?

“I’m always asking questions and obviously we have a very experienced team in Le Grá; the guy who built Cobra is a part of Le Grá. So we are in the right direction, we do have the right team and the right people around us to guide us to the pinnacle of beermaking.”

Calling his move into the beverage business a surprise for most people, the Belfast boxer was confident that he could turn his hand to something.

“Don’t know what that would have been, but I’d put it to anything really. And I’ve chose this and one thing I made sure I’d done at the start was get the right people around us and pick the right teams. If I put my mind to something I’ll make sure I get it done in the correct way.”

Having these two versions of himself, the athlete and the business owner, is not a new feeling for Michael who says he’s always been business minded.

“I was always looking at where I’m making the next pound, what I’m doing next. I’ve always had that kind of mindset of trying to be proactive in terms of getting where I want to get to.

“There is a stereotype with boxers that they’re all dumb and that’s just how it’s been,” he continues on the possibility of being pigeonholed.

“People try to make it out that boxers aren’t too smart but that’s something that I’ve always made sure that was never associated with me.

“I’ve always kind of highlighted that when I’m talking to anybody, I’m not this kind of numpty who doesn’t know what he’s doing in this game. I know what I’m doing and I’m always trying to be proactive, as I said.”

Though he says he doesn’t know everything about the drinks game, this passion project is aided thanks the involvement of the right people who help to ‘guide the ship’ so he can focus on boxing.

Michael last fought in December, when he was stopped in the seventh round by England’s Jordan Gill. He had been fighting for the first time since a world-title bid defeat against Luis Alberto Lopez in May 2023.

“I plan to be coming back, definitely,” says Michael.

“I’m just over here in Sheffield at the moment. I’m working with a new coach. I’m enjoying it but I’m taking my time. I’m not going to rush anything. The last one was quite rushed. Especially after the last fight, I had a new coach.

“I don’t think it was a true representation of me as a person, as a fighter. I have to say, take some time away from the game, enjoy life and then just get back in the ring and see how things go. Whether or not that means fighting again or not, I don’t know but I assume it does. That’s what I work towards.”

It’s about not taking anything for granted.

“A hundred per cent. You do that a lot, especially in sport. You think it’s going to last forever. It’s not. You’ve got to be smart and enjoy every moment, take advantage of every moment and just try to get to the pinnacle. That’s what I’m doing. Just taking every day, one day at a time.”

Equally for both boxing and beverage businesses, it’s important to remain savvy, and assess the best opportunities.

“Yeah, that’s the most important thing. In boxing, it’s knowing how to pick the right route, when to pick the right route, what is the right route. I’m not rushing.

“I’m trying to be as savvy as I possibly can and take my time before I make any decisions. Look at all possible routes I can take back to where I want to get to.

“To say which one is best for me, which one I think fits best for me. Sometimes you just know best yourself and that’s the way I’ll do it for now.”

​For information on Le Grá, see legrabeer.com