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Guinness 0.0 production to increase 300% after €25m investment
Diageo is set to increase Guinness 0.0 production by almost 300% following a €25 million (US$27.2m) investment into its St. James’s Gate site.
managing director, Diageo Ireland and Aisling Ryan, Guinness 0.0 innovation brewer.
The Dublin-based site which includes six new processing vessels capable of producing half a million hectolitres (90 million pints), has been boosted to meet rising demand for alcohol-free beer.
Diageo Ireland managing director Barry O’Sullivan said: “Guinness 0.0 is now the number one selling non-alcoholic beer in a four-pack format in both Ireland and Great Britain. This expansion in production capacity at St James’s Gate is a testament to the quality of Guinness 0.0 and the growth of the non-alcoholic category, as consumers look for more choice on different occasions. We expect the growth of Guinness 0.0 to be another export success story for Ireland.”
Low and no-alcohol options currently make up just over four in 10 alcoholic drinks launches, according to research agency Innova Market Insight.
Additionally, non-alcoholic drinks launches are said to have grown at a CAGR of 28% between 2017 and 2022, while alcoholic drinks launches grew at just 11%, said Innova.
Speaking about its success in Ireland, O’Donoghue’s publican Oliver Barden explained: “Guinness 0.0 is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beers in this pub. It’s a great tasting alternative for those that want to experience the atmosphere and craic in the pub without any alcohol. I imagine this demand will continue to grow as the availability and quality of non-alcoholic products becomes more widespread.”
The plan for Diageo to make pints of alcohol-free Guinness available on draught in pubs across Ireland this summer is already underway.
Guinness 0.0, which is set to become available to buy on draught from mid-July, has only been sold in cans in Irish bars up until this point.
Diageo has reportedly forecast that Guinness 0.0 will reach 10% of all sales in Ireland in the coming years.
Currently, St. James’s Gate is the only location where Guinness 0.0 is produced for all exports to the UK, Europe, the US, Canada, the Middle East and South Korea.
Diageo has been contacted for futher information regarding its investment of non-alcoholic Guinness and yet has been guarded on its upcoming plans for the stout brand’s next moves.