Guinness is the fastest-growing imported beer in the country based on bar, restaurant and brewery sales over the last year, according to Nielsen. The Dublin-based brewer has been making up for ground lost in the United States since the pandemic.
Thus reported the New York Times last week. And so far those imports seem to be coping with demand as the Christmas season arrives with all its familiar social force.
But somewhere has to give, and that would appear to be Britain.
According to the Irish Times, Guinness parent company Diageo has limited the amount of its famous stout supplied to the UK market in the run up to Christmas, this due to higher consumer demand.
UK sales of Guinness were about 19 percent higher in the four weeks up to the start of November. Higher, in this instance, isn't all good news it would seem.
Irish Guinness drinkers need not be worried, however.
Irish pubs are not affected by the drop in supply, with the issue confined to the company’s British market, the Times reported a Guinness spokeswoman as saying.
“As we move into the busy Christmas period, we will make all deliveries to our customers across the island of Ireland, as planned and without disruption.”
Good news indeed, but meanwhile in the UK the popularity of Guinness has been increasing over the past year and in the lead up to the festive season.
"It follows reports of greater consumption of the stout in the U.S. market," added the Irish Times report which is in clear synch with the New York Times account.
“They are just trying to manage the allocations that they have to make sure that people have the supply they need coming up to Christmas,” the Guinness spokeswoman said.
“Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in [the UK]. We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”
According to the Irish Times, Guinness ships its products from St. James’s Gate in Dublin to Runcorn in Cheshire, England. According to its latest annual report, St James’s Gate supplies 150 different markets across the globe.
Guinness stout became the number one selling Diageo beer in the UK in December 2022, and saw growth among female and younger customers, aged between 18 and 34, during 2023. According to the industry group in the UK CGA, sales of Guinness were about 19 percent higher in the four weeks up to the start of November, compared to the same period in 2023.
To prevent future supply issues for various Diageo beer products, the company has started work on a brewery in County Kildare to expand capacity.
“A lot of our beer will be made there, and it will be just Guinness in St.James’s Gate,” the company spokeswoman said.
The new development, located in Little Connell, Newbridge, is expected to cost €200 million. The company is also investing €30 million in Guinness 0.0 production. That's Guinness minus the alcohol.
