the British are running out of Guinness

Its dark color is due to a part of roasted barley, in addition to the usual beer ingredients.Image: unsplash

Those who want to order a Guinness in London pubs these days may be in for a nasty surprise.

Sebastian Borger, London / ch media

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The end-of-year celebrations on the British Isles have highlighted what was already rumored during Advent: the drinks giant Diageo is running out of one of its main products. In many English pubs, the Guinness taps, the black gold of beers, remain dry until further notice. Recovery is not expected until February at the earliest.

At legendary north London pub the Faltering Fullback, regulars always get a free beer for the traditional first-day neighborhood gathering. Many revelers, especially younger ones, asked for a pint of Guinness – and were told no.

“I can do without new socks, but the holidays without Guinness are really impossible,” grumbled Adam Seear. Charles Grane also did not hide his disappointment:

“How come there is no more beer during the holidays?”

This is the question many restaurateurs ask themselves. Indeed, on the British island, the Irish brewery slump is not only felt by independent restaurants like the Faltering Fullback. Huge pub chains like Admiral Taverns, which owns nearly 1,600 pubs, or Wetherspoons, whose nearly 800 establishments normally serve 25 million pints of Guinness a year, are just as affected.

The boss of Wetherspoons, Tim Martin, was certainly conciliatory, as he should be during this festive period, since he can count on Guinness as a reliable supplier for 45 years.

“But they have to brew more beer”

Earlier this month, Guinness owner Diageo spoke of “exceptionally high demand,” which was why deliveries had to be limited. Britain’s neighbors are supplied from the original site, St. James’s Gate in Dublin, where Arthur Guinness began brewing his dark beer called stout in 1759. The enormous facility with its own mini power station is running “at full capacity” » and an increase in production is not possible at the moment.

Brewing engineers and craftsmen are currently working feverishly to build an additional production line at the Dublin site, which will cost around €30 million. Additionally, a brand new brewery is being built in neighboring County Kildare, at an estimated cost of €200 million. For Diageo, it’s about avoiding the worst-case scenario.

The last day of January marks the start of the legendary Six Nations rugby tournament, during which Ireland will defend its title. And rugby fans are among the most loyal customers of Guinness, the event’s longtime sponsor.

Marketers speak respectfully of the Irish brand, and in recent years the company’s advertisements have won numerous awards. “Guinness is good for you” was the catchy slogan of this drink with a slightly bitter taste and an alcohol content of 4.2%. The dark color of the coveted drink is due to a portion of roasted barley, in addition to the usual beer ingredients like hops, yeast and water.

Another special feature is the fact that the product comes in two phases, which is actually superfluous. For this too, advertisers have invented a nice slogan:

«Good things come to those who wait»

Everything comes in time to those who wait.

Murphy’s Stout is in les starting-blocks

The sales crisis has drawn criticism. Diageo would have focused too much on spirits and would have neglected the old Guinness brand, criticizes for example John Gapper of Financial Times. However, last July, the group had already welcomed an 18% increase in beer sales, exclusively due to the venerable brand, which finds a favorable response among young people and celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

The fact that this black gold is more often associated with a pleasant outing in a pub than with a quiet beer on the sofa at home clearly contributes to this. Diageo’s failure to meet growing demand could prove to be a “costly mistake”, Gapper believes.

The market leader may be threatened by competition, which does not have a delivery failure. The Faltering-Fullback pub recently started offering “Murphy’s Stout”. On the Green Isle, the sale of this dark drink has until now been limited to the Cork region, the large southern city. Is it gaining ground among the British? Friends Seear and Grane would not be opposed to it in any case. “Not that bad,” they judged after the third pint. (aargauerzeitung.ch)

Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci