Saabira Chaudhuri of The Wall Street Journal reports that the Irish stout has soared in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to a social-media phenomenon. Chaudhuri writes:
On Saturday night at the Old Ivy House pub, drinkers looking for a Guinness were greeted with an overturned glass dangling over a tap handle.
The Old Ivy ran out of the iconic Irish stout on Friday night. It isn’t the only one.
Pubs up and down the U.K. say they are running low on Guinness after a surge in demand that caught the beer’s brewer off guard. The timing couldn’t be worse, with millions across the country heading to Christmas parties and other gatherings as the festive season here kicks into high gear.
Guinness owner Diageo says it has seen “exceptional consumer demand” for the brand in Britain over the past month. In response, the company is limiting the amount of its stout that pubs can buy to prevent stockpiling and ensure supplies last through the peak Christmas season. The issue affects both cans and kegs of Guinness in Britain. […]
Not everyone thinks a shortage of Guinness is a bad thing. The Campaign for Real Ale is using the opportunity to push cask-conditioned beers, promoting a list of “12 stouts of Christmas” to “help stout fans through the ongoing Guinness shortage.”
“No draught Guinness shortage here!!” tweeted the Steel Coulson Southside, an Edinburgh-based pub and beer shop. “Well, ok, that’s because we dinnae stock it!” It urged drinkers to try Extra Black, a porter made by Campervan brewery.
Guinness rival Murphy’s—owned by Heineken—is getting a boost from the shortages. […]
Fletcher said Small Beer has received many inquiries from stout makers hoping pubs that once ignored them will carry their drinks. The alternative stouts are almost always cheaper than Guinness, but Fletcher said it is hard to woo drinkers away from the Diageo beer.
“If people want a stout they’ll order a Guinness without thinking about it much,” he said. “People are very loyal to the brand.”
Read more here.
