Guinness stocks run dry as pubs forced to ration pints

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Pubs across the UK are having to ration pints of Guinness amid a national shortage of the iconic Irish stout ahead of Christmas.

Establishments have been panic buying the beverage in the hope they don’t run dry over the festive period, as some say they have already run out of stock completely.

Pubs such as the Old Ivy House, in Clerkenwell, London, introduced rationing rules last week to preserve their stock – but still found themselves short of supply.

The landlady Katie Davidson told The Times that they had issued cards to customers allowing them to purchase one pint of the black stuff – but only once they had bought two other drinks first.

“I normally make sure I have seven barrels per week and I would up that in the run-up to Christmas,” she told the paper. “But I was restricted to only four [by our brewery]. So on Wednesday, when I got my order, we only had half a barrel left in the cellar at the busiest time of the year. And we’d run out by 10pm on Friday night.”

She said that most people understood the situation and were happy to abide by the rules, but one customer did walk away.

The strain on supply has been brought on by a surge in demand which has seen the brand boom in popularity among young people and women.

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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.

Last week, a pub in Sheffield said they had stocked up after catching wind of the shortage but have still found themselves floundering,

“A lot more young people drink it now,” landlady Ann Flynn told The Independent “We are one of the biggest pubs for Guinness in Sheffield and we are struggling. At Christmas time, it’s a bit disappointing for people.”

Pubs in Liverpool are also facing a national shortage, with one landlady saying her venues ran out on Sunday.

Fiona Hornsby, who runs three pubs in the area, said the delivery she is expecting on Monday won’t be enough to last her past Wednesday.

She told The Times: “Many places began to stock up for Christmas early on so have managed so far but this week I think we will start to see more running short.”

She claimed he had received little communication from Guinness about the shortage and added: “Guinness has told us nothing, only that they hope to resolve the issue soon, which isn’t particularly helpful. We are free trade too but ringing around wholesalers they’ve none to spare either.

“It’s disappointing. Surely Guinness has seen the increase in sales this year and could have planned better?”

A spokesperson for Diageo previously told The Independent: “Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in GB. We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”