Pubs with No Cheer: Guinness Drought Hits UK Drinkers

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Pubs and bars across the UK are rationing pints of Guinness in the festive lead up to Christmas amid a national shortage of the iconic Irish stout.

The strain on supply is driven by a surge in demand which has seen the brand boom in popularity among young people and women, the Independent reports.

Brand director Joyce He said the viral “splitting the G” trend – which has seen young drinkers attempt to swig enough of their pint on the first gulp that it settles in the centre of the “G” on their glass – has also boosted sales.

Such is the drought Guinness’s owner Diageo announced last week it was limiting how much pubs can buy because of “exceptional consumer demand” in Great Britain.

The limits only apply to pubs in England, Wales and Scotland, not Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A member of staff holds up a “Guinness Ration Card” behind the bar inside The Old Ivy House public house in Clerkenwell, London on December 15, 2024. At her London pub, landlady Kate Davidson has taken to issuing Guinness ration cards, but still the beer has run out amid a UK shortage. (BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

The BBC reports Guinness sales have recently been bucking market trends, according to data from food and drinks industry research firm CGA.

As overall beer drinking was slightly down between July and October, the volume of Guinness consumed from kegs was up more than fifth.

In Europe, Guinness 0.0, a nonalcoholic version of stout, saw net sales double in fiscal year 2024, according to Diageo.

Meanwhile Diageo cited “exceptional” demand in Great Britain, the stout has also grown in popularity in the U.S. market as well.

Guinness was the top-imported beer in the U.S. across the past 12 months ending in October, according to Nielsen.