Guinness shortage hits supermarkets and off-licences as drinkers panic and buy the stout for New Year’s Eve

Supermarkets and off-licence stores are now starting to feel the effects of the Guinness shortage – as drinkers empty store shelves in a frenzy of panic buying ahead of New Year’s Eve.

Shoppers have taken photos of sold-out Guinness sections at a string of Tesco supermarkets across the country in recent days as demand for the beer increases.

And some off-licenses have also reportedly sold out for the popular drink, leaving many fans of the dark stuff panicked at the thought of not being able to enjoy the drink while celebrating the arrival of 2025.

In Britain, eight million pints of Guinness are typically served on New Year’s Eve in pubs and homes, according to consumer trends data.

But shoppers have stripped Tesco and other supermarkets bare after some pubs went dry amid a shopping boom.

Andrew Williams, who discovered the Guinness shelves empty at Tesco in St Helens, Merseyside, wrote on X: “I hope no one is expecting Guinness. These are the people who only think about themselves.

Fan account Pints ​​O’Guinness responded: “Idiots are stocking up.”

Craig Panks, who found Guinness sold out in a Tesco in Scotland, said: “This can only be described as a disaster. And my local off-license is also removed.

Stephen Clews, who found the empty Guinness section at Tesco in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, said: “Every can and bottle of Guinness was gone. »

Film producer Ray Verma added: “I just got the last packet of Guinness in my local Asda.”

Tesco said photos taken of empty Guinness shelves in its supermarkets did not represent its overall stocks of Guinness in other stores.

Guinness brewer Diageo said supermarkets and off-licence stores had seen a 22 per cent increase in sales of Guinness cans and bottles, according to the most recent available data.

A Diageo spokesperson said: “We work closely to manage the distribution of Guinness and ensure we maximize supply and minimize disruption to retailers and pubs.”

Some pubs ran out of Guinness in December after a surge in sales sparked by the stout’s growing popularity with younger drinkers.

The boom has been partly driven by a viral game in which a drinker attempts to “split the G” by eating the name on the pint glass in the first sip.

As demand for the drink began to rise just before Christmas, pub owners were forced to redirect supplies destined for Ireland back to the UK.

If this fails to quench Britain’s great thirst, shipments originally intended to supply the North American market will be redeployed.

With the start of the Guinness-sponsored Six Nations rugby championships just over a month away, demand for this hot stout is said to exceed even the levels normally seen around St. Patrick’s Day.

While some have suggested the apparent shortage is just a marketing ploy, Diageo says it’s all due to “exceptional consumer demand.”

“This week we will ship more Guinness to Britain than on St Patrick’s Day in March this year, but we still cannot meet demand,” a Diageo spokeswoman said on December 21.

Yet the growing appetite for Guinness among women and Gen Z drinkers, deftly described this week by Daily Mail journalist Olivia Dean, is undeniable.

“For a generation obsessed with identity, Guinness imparts personality to the drinker,” Dean wrote.

“Just ordering one is a ritual in itself. There’s the complex slow pour system (glass held at 45 degrees), which beer geeks love to teach bartenders lessons on.

“There is the obsession with ‘splitting the G’ (for the uninitiated, this is a challenge where your first sip must bring the level of beer in the branded glass exactly halfway up the ” G” of “Guinness”).

“Then there are the campaign slogans – ‘Have a good day for a Guinness’, ‘Guinness is good for you’ – which cry out to be splashed on a tongue-in-cheek T-shirt.

That’s exactly what American singer Olivia Rodrigo did at a show in Dublin this year, appearing in a T-shirt bearing the latter slogan, and the celebrity support has clearly done the brand no harm.

Kim Kardashian also made headlines when she was seen rocking pints of Guinness and drinking shots of “Baby Guinness” – a mix of coffee liqueur and Irish cream – while on tour St. Patrick’s Day ads last year.