Bolton council has said a beer produced by MMA fighter Conor McGregor will not be sold at the town’s food and drink festival this weekend. The beer brand Forged Irish Stout, brewed and promoted by the Irish sportsman, published a social media post stating ‘Forged Irish Stout will be pouring all weekend from the main bar at the acoustic stage during Bolton Food & Drink Festival’.
Festival plans clarified
The food and drink festival will take place across the town centre from Friday, August 28 to Monday, August 31. On Thursday, August 27, the council said there were never any plans to sell the beer brand across any festival concessions and the social media post by the brand was ‘made in error’.
It is understood that the council received several complaints about potentially selling the beer at a family event due to McGregor’s association with the brand.
Background of complaints
Nikita Hand successfully sued McGregor in the Irish high court after alleging he raped and assaulted her at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. In November 2024, a jury in Dublin found McGregor civilly liable for assaulting Ms Hand. Following the verdict, the jury awarded Nikita Hand £206,714.31 in damages for the assault.
McGregor launched an appeal which was completely dismissed in July, 2025 when a three-judge Court of Appeal panel rejected all of McGregor’s remaining grounds of appeal, upholding the original judgement, damages award and costs orders.
Council reassures public
Bolton council said it ‘fully understand the depth of feeling on this topic and can reassure everyone that Bolton Food and Drink Festival is an open, inclusive and family friendly event’. The Bolton council statement said: “We have seen messages on social media regarding a specific brand of beer, and concerns that it would be stocked during Bolton Food and Drink Festival.
“We would like to clarify that there were never any plans to sell this beer brand across any festival concessions this weekend. “A social media post by the brewery was made in error, and no deal to stock their product at the festival was ever agreed. “We fully understand the depth of feeling on this topic and can reassure everyone that Bolton Food and Drink Festival is an open, inclusive and family friendly event. “We look forward to welcoming visitors this weekend.”
Forged Irish Stout has been contacted for comment.
