Three years on from the August 2023 retail launch, Forged Irish Stout sits in three reliable retail tiers and one precarious one. Here's the 2026 picture.
UK: ASDA still the workhorse
ASDA was the launch retailer in August 2023 and remains the most reliable place to find Forged in the UK. The 4-pack of 440ml widget cans is a permanent listing across 350+ stores. Promotional pricing dips to around £8.00 for a 4-pack on rotation. Amazon UK carries the 12-pack at around £30, useful for delivery. Pub presence remains thin outside the Black Forge London concept.
US: shelf-stable in the Northeast, expanding
The US launch was October 2023 in the Northeast (NY, NJ, MA, PA). Three years on, Total Wine, Binny's, BevMo and a wide network of independent liquor stores now stock it across most of the continental US. Standard 4-pack of 14.9oz cans at $9.99–$11.99. Coverage in the Midwest and South is variable; California is solid via BevMo.
Canada: import network growing
Distributed via select Canadian importers; strongest presence in Ontario through The Beer Store and the LCBO. Always check provincial liquor authority listings before driving anywhere.
Ireland: still mostly the Black Forge
The big surprise. Three years post-launch, Forged Irish Stout is harder to find on Irish supermarket shelves than on ASDA's UK shelves. Independent off-licences in Dublin and Cork carry it intermittently; Dunnes Stores and SuperValu rotate stock. The most reliable Irish source remains the Black Forge Inn in Crumlin, where the brand was developed and where it pours on draught year-round.
What's rotated out
- Drizly (US online). Drizly's wind-down means several of the convenient delivery routes for US drinkers have closed. Alternatives: GotoLiquorStore, retailer-direct online ordering, BeerMenus for local stockist lookups.
- Limited Black Forge "tied pubs" in the UK. The London Black Forge concept opened to mixed reception; ongoing on-trade expansion has been slower than the 2023 announcements suggested.
What's coming
The 2024 announcement that Conor McGregor would acquire Porterhouse Brewery — Forged's contract brewer — has not yet (as of April 2026) translated into a publicly visible change in Forged's retail availability or formula. If/when the acquisition completes, expect tighter integration between the Forged brand and the Porterhouse pub network in Dublin, London and New York.
Bottom line for buyers
- UK: ASDA in-store or Amazon. Easy.
- US: Total Wine for cans, Binny's if you're in Illinois, BevMo for California.
- Canada: LCBO (Ontario) is the most reliable.
- Ireland: Black Forge Inn for the on-trade experience; specialty off-licences online for cans.
For our full take on whether the beer is worth the search, see the Forged Irish Stout review. For comparison reading, the comparisons hub has six side-by-side guides.