Guinness owner Diageo PLC (LSE:LON:DGE) is reportedly shipping supplies from its reserves from Ireland to the UK to alleviate a shortage of the famous black stout.
Stories have been running for weeks about shortages of Guinness with some pubs introducing ration cards to distribute what they get fairly.
The reserves are usually earmarked for Irish customers but the Sunday Times reported yesterday that Diageo has started dipping into them to send to Britain.
Stock bound for North America might also be diverted here said the report.
Diageo again said it was exceptional demand that had caused the shortages, not supply problems.
“We are producing more Guinness today than we ever have in our 265-year history, and we continue to work closely with customers across our network to manage Guinness distribution as efficiently as possible, said a Guinness spokesperson.
One seen as a drink for those of a certain age, the surge in demand has been the result of a new younger, trendier group of customers adopting the beer as their drink of choice.
Drinking games such as “Splitting the G”, where the aim is to get the line between the white head and black stout into the middle of the G on the iconic Guinness pint glass (see picture) with one sip, have added to its appeal.
Reports that the shortages claim is nothing more than a marketing stunt have been dismissed by publicans, who are worried that the problem could become more acute when the Six Nations rugby championship starts at the end of January.
Earlier this month, Diageo said its Dublin brewery was already working at full capacity.