Pubs and bars across the UK are giving away Guinness in the run-up to Christmas festivities amid a national shortage of the iconic Irish stout.
The tight supply is being driven by a surge in demand, with the brand's popularity surging among young people and women. independent report.
Brand director Joyce He said sales were also boosted by the trendy trend of 'splitting the G', where young drinkers settle into the middle of the 'G' of the glass to ensure they fill their pint with the first sip. said.
Guinness owner Diageo announced last week that this is the drought. limit How much more will pubs be able to buy due to the UK's 'exceptional consumer demand'?
This restriction only applies to pubs in England, Wales and Scotland and does not apply to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
A staff member holds up a Guinness ration card behind the bar at the Old Ivy House public house in Clerkenwell, London, on December 15, 2024. At a London pub, landlady Kate Davidson is working on issuing Guinness ration cards, but beer remains in short supply as Britain is still in short supply. (Benjamin Kremer/AFP via Getty Images)
BBC report Guinness sales have bucked market trends in recent years, according to data from food and drink industry research firm CGA.
As overall beer consumption fell slightly from July to October, the amount of Guinness consumed from kegs increased by more than a fifth.
In Europe, net sales of Guinness 0.0, a non-alcoholic version of stout, doubled in 2024, Diageo said.
Meanwhile, Diageo cited “exceptional” demand in the UK, but its stout is growing in popularity in the US market as well.
Guinness was the most imported beer in the United States in the past 12 months through October, according to Nielsen.
