Food and drink
Goodbye to Guinness in pubs: The reason why a shortage of the popular beer is leading to rationing
Pub owners are concerned that their Guinness taps may run dry this Christmas as the stout’s owner has been forced to ration the popular brew.
Christmas is approaching, a time when people gather together with family and friends to celebrate the holiday season. But it may not be a very joyous time for Guinness fans as Pub owners are concerned that their taps may run dry of the popular beer this Christmas.
The stout’s owner Diageo has been forced to ration the amount that pubs can purchase after “exceptional demand” over the past few weeks. And the drink’s maker cannot simply produce more at this time to meet the needs of pubs as its Dublin brewery, it is understood, is working at 100% capacity.
Goodbye to Guinness in pubs: The reason why a shortage of the popular beer is leading to rationing
Fortunately for Americans, the distribution problem is only affecting pubs in the United Kingdom. The island nation’s supply was drained over the past month in part due to increased popularity of the drink and recent rugby internationals, leading to a shortage of Guinness in the runup to Christmas.
“Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in Great Britain,” a Diageo spokesperson told the BBC. “We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”
The black brew with a thick white foamy head was once viewed as a drink for older men and rugby teams. However, Diageo has been working to dispel people’s perception that the Irish stout is heavy and a “meal in a glass” with a marketing campaign over the past few years. The New York Times notes that the beer’s alcohol by volume is 4.2%, roughly that of a Bud Light, and it is lighter than Modelo Especial with only 125 calories per 12 ounces.
The company has also been working with influencers to raise its profile and has gotten a boost from celebrities posting pictures of themselves enjoying a pint of Guinness. When performing in Dublin this year, Singer Olivia Rodrigo even wore a “Guinness is good 4U” T-shirt. This has helped attract a younger following among Gen Z and also draw more women to the brand.
Many people are now posting pictures of themselves with a pint or taking part in the viral challenge in recent years “splitting the ‘G.’” That’s where on your first drink of a pint of Guinness, you gulp down until the black of the pint is directly in line with the line in the middle of the G.
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