No shortage of Guinness in Cavan this Christmas

The perfect pint of stout is proving increasingly hard to get your hands on in the UK amidst reported shortages.

However drinks company Diageo, which supplies Guinness, has confirmed that the issue is confined to Great Britain with deliveries to customers “across the island of Ireland” being made “as planned and without disruption”.

“As we move into the busy Christmas period, we will make all deliveries to our customers across the island of Ireland, as planned and without disruption,” the spokesperson confirmed.

Former London publican Gerry Dolan, who hails from Milltown in Cavan, shared what’s happening across the waters with The Anglo-Celt.

Formerly the proprietor of the Westminster Arms, a popular London pub about 400 yards from Westminster Palace, Gerry reported he is “enjoying” his retirement for the past year and a half.

He spilled his take on the stout shortage.

“You’re always in the loop and I do frequent pubs quite a bit,” he said with a laugh. “Some pubs are short and some have loads [of Guinness],” he said.

With sales on the rise last year, Gerry said “that would have surely told them [Diageo] that they needed to produce more Guinness for the coming year and they didn’t.”

“Hence the shortage,” he outlined, likening it to the toilet roll situation during the pandemic.

While he said “a lot of people seem to have panic bought Guinness” some, who didn’t stockpile their stash of kegs “are left short”.

The retired publican said the shortage isn’t so much in London, but Manchester and Liverpool “seem to be hardest hit”.

Gerry, who drinks “the odd pint”, adds: “If you’ve a pub in a certain area and you’ve no Guinness you’re in trouble because Guinness would be one of your big sellers, especially in an Irish area.

“Guinness is a universal brand no matter where you go in the world.”

Gerry also speculated that “it [the shortage] could be a great marketing ploy for Guinness”.

“If you make something in short supply everybody wants it,” he added.

Reflecting back on his career in the pub trade, which lasted for the best part of 50 years, the Milltown native said he “wouldn’t mind” being back behind the bar.

“But again I think of all the hard work and everything else that goes with it, and the stress and strain, like no Guinness. I’m just as well off here sitting and going out and playing golf,” he concluded.

Speaking on the shortage, a Diageo spokesperson thanked affected customers for their patience: “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, ensuring we maximise supply and minimise disruptions for pubs and retailers.

“Demand remains at unprecedented levels, and we will continue to allocate supplies on a managed basis until the end of December, before beginning a phased replenishment of the supply chain in January to ensure a return to normal for the Guinness Six Nations.”