It’s not Christmas with out Guinness! Bar homeowners ‘bracing themselves’ for stout shortages forward of the festive interval, as punters say they do not thoughts sharing their favorite drink with Gen Z… so long as they do not drive the costs up

Bar owners are bracing themselves for Guinness shortages over the Christmas period as the drink enjoys a surge in popularity among Gen Z drinkers alongside pub veterans.  

Guinness lovers said today (Thurs) they are fearing a Christmas without a pint of ‘the black stuff’ after a shortage was announced.

The Irish stout has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, causing such high demand that owner Diageo is understood to have placed limits on pub and bar purchases.

Guinness, once seen as an older man’s drink, has become fashionable among celebrities and Gen Z – who are often seen trying to ‘split the G’.

In order to curb the huge demand for the drink, which has become a favourite for Gen Z’s who like to take photos of themselves drinking, new ‘allocation limits’ have been placed on the number of kegs pubs can receive this winter. 

One large pub company has warned their landlords that they ‘hear reports suggesting Diageo (Guinness’ parent company) are experiencing issues with the supply of Guinness.’

Other pub operators have said they have been ‘restricted’ with some landlords now resorting to ‘panic buying’ to get through the festive period. 

But Diageo have assured drinkers they will not go without the stout over Christmas following a hugely busy November fueled by the Autumn rugby internationals. 

The popularity of Guinness has skyrocketed amongst the young in recent years and sales of the black stuff among UK women has increased 24 per cent.

The craze has been helped on by influencers like Kim Kardashian, who made headlines after enjoying a pint of Guinness and a shot of baby Guinness in a pub in London in March 2023. 

Now, drinking Guinness is akin to an extreme sport for many youngsters, as they seek out the best pint of plain from the many boozers across Britain and Ireland. 

People drinking in Irish pubs in London said this afternoon they would be gutted if they missed out on a pint this festive season. 

And workers said they had already noticed a shortage – despite ordering extra supplies.

At the Lucky 7 Irish Bar in Cricklewood, North London, customers were seen with Guinness in hand, which they all noted as their go to order.

Maurice Martin, 76, who was born in Dublin says he has been drinking it since he was a teenager and he would never drink anything else.

He said: ‘I started drinking Guinness when I was about 16 and I never stopped. It would be a shame if there was a shortage.

‘I don’t really drink anything else other than Guinness.

‘It has definitely become a trend in young people. It is just a great drink, and it would be a real shame if it went. You can’t beat Guinness.’

Johnny Cassey, 72, said: ‘I always drink Guinness. I have been coming to this pub for it for about 50 years.

‘I have seen at the weekends there are a lot of young people drinking Guinness. It doesn’t really bother me. If they want to drink it then that is their choice.’

Shamus McLoghalin said: ‘I have been drinking Guinness for 40 years. It is definitely my favourite drink. I just like the taste.

‘I saw it on the news that’s lots of Gen Z are drinking Guinness. If they are happy with it, then why not.

‘My main worry is that they will put the prices up.’

At Maddens Bar in East Finchley, bartender Niall O’Connor, 60, says he is concerned about the shortage – but hopes it will be resolved soon.

The employee of four years said: ‘We are aware of the shortage. It is a bit concerning but we will see what we can get in before Christmas so that we are stocked up.

‘We have never had trouble getting Guinness before. It is a very popular drink, and it has become very popular with the younger crowd.

‘It is a good responsible drink. It is a winter drink, so Christmas is a very popular time.

‘We sell quite a lot of it now, so we are bracing ourselves for the shortage.’

Noel Dunning, 51, has been working at Gertie Browns just across the road for 22 years.

He says that he has never seen a shortage of Guinness before and that, as an Irish pub, they are very worried.

He added: ‘For an Irish pub this is not ideal. We were already short in our delivery this morning.

‘I ordered extra this month but they still came up short. It will only become more stressed as time goes on.

‘We don’t want to lose customers especially in the run up to Christmas.

‘There has been increased demand for it but surely a large company like that should be able to cope with it. I’m surprised this would happen with a company of that stature.

‘We have never had this problem before. It is very bizarre.’

Customer Adrian McKay is local to the area, and says he exclusively drinks Guinness so he couldn’t imagine a Christmas without it.

He said: ‘I only ever drink Guinness. I heard about the shortage and I was surprised.

‘Ireland has been doing really well in the rugby this year which has caused lots of people to switch to Guinness. They say that might have caused it.

‘Pubs in the big tourist areas will definitely feel the pinch.

‘I wouldn’t know what to do if it was gone, I would have to switch to the heavier stuff!

‘My son who is 21 drinks Guinness, as well as my daughter. I see lots of young people who come in here drinking it. I think it is a good thing.

‘It is easy to drink and has a distinct taste.’

The rise in the Irish stout’s popularity among young people began in the pandemic.

Cities with large Irish American populations are where sales have boomed the most, according to Joyce He, the company’s US brand director. 

The brand was ‘disproportionately affected’ during the pandemic, but fans looking for a drinking experience has helped with sales, the marketing boss told the New York Times.

Sales for Guinness products in bars have become ‘completely bananas,’ and the brand is no longer considered a ‘meal in a glass.’

Guinness is the fastest-growing imported beer in the US based on 2023 pub, restaurant, and brewery sales.

Celebrities have gotten a kick out of promoting Guinness through social media trends rather than official marketing campaigns.

One of the biggest trends involving Guinness is ‘splitting the G,’ which requires fans to drink a sip of the beverage so that the line between the beer and foam is halfway through the ‘G’ on the Guinness logo.

Experts first noticed the trend in 2017 and it then spread from London and Ireland to the US.

Guinness drinkers who have participated in the trends have taken pictures or videos for social media to prove they completed the task.

Horan and Ed Sheeran also attempted to ‘split the G’ in August 2024. While the ‘Shape of You’ singer was able to do it, the former One Direction member could not.

American actor John Cena later admitted he was ‘ignorant’ when it came to his attenot at ‘splitting the G’ this year.

Cena claimed it was ‘heavy’ and ‘tough to drink’ but insisted a Guinness beer was his ‘drink of choice’ during an August 2024 interview.

Today, Guinness offers more than 20 beers, and bars, breweries, and restaurants and sells non-alcoholic beverages.

It’s also considered the beer of choice for Americans who earn $150,000 a year, according to a report from YouGov.

Nearly two billion pints of Guinness is sold worldwide every year and around 180 million of those pints are in the US.