The Irish operation has recently sought to register a brand called Canyon Beer, but neither Heineken Ireland nor its Dutch parent could confirm its existence. Heineken Ireland, which owns the Murphy's stout brand and also distributes drinks such as Coors Light, Amstel and Paulaner, could be about to bolster its market presence with the Canyon Beer brand, which is listed by the Patents Office as being either a beer, ale, porter or stout, rather than a lager. That may be simple semantics, however.

The 3bn beer and lager market in Ireland has contracted in recent years, despite the growth in overall off-trade sales, as more people decide to drink at home. Last year the on-trade market experienced a decline of 3.7% to a 77% market share, while the off-trade segment grew by 11% to hold a 23% market share.

Beer sales in Ireland declined 5% in volume and 1% in value terms in 2005, according to Euromonitor. Diageo has been one of the main losers, as sales of Guinness continue to slump.

In April, Heineken Ireland said its brands now command a 20% share of the Irish market. Revenue at the company grew 4.5% last year to 325m, primarily boosted by sales of Coors Light.

Heineken staff remained stumped last week as to the origins of Canyon Beer. Any beer connoisseurs will undoubtedly have their own suspicions. According to the label, the beverage is "Brewed at the Winnepeg Brewery".

Presumably, that's meant to be Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Someone will have to become acquainted with a spellchecker before the beer hits the shelves.