Magnus Barefoot

Let’s break down how we made this IPA a Shark Award-winning design…

The Task / Solution

Western Herd didn’t even have a name for their newest IPA - only that it used Kveik yeast from Norway. In keeping with the brewery’s theme of tying all stories back to their home county we researched and told the (true) story behind an ancient Viking raid.

Magnus Barefoot - King of Norway - invaded Scattery Island in 1101. Nine centuries later, we saw the opportunity for a narrative reversal: they took from us, now we take something back - their prized yeast. This gave the brand a confident, historically anchored story with a modern twist.

The Story / Copy

The small island of Scattery off county Clare’s coast may look tranquil but it wasn’t so when Magnus Barefoot, legendary King of Norway, invaded in 1101. He laid destruction to the island and pilfered many a treasure from the resident monks.

It has been nearly a thousand years so we thought it was about time we took something back from the Norwegians: their unique Kveik Yeast (Hornindal, to be precise). Perfected over generations in farmhouses across Norway it adds an almost tropical, fruity bounce to new, exciting beers like this one.

Better late than never, Norway.

It only took you a millennium to give something back…

The Impact

The pack became Western Herd’s most decorated design - winning Overall at the Shark Awards - and delivered a distinctive IPA identity driven by history, yeast innovation, and attitude.