Posted on 02/16/2007 4:20:10 PM PST by blam
Irish are shunning Guinness
By Harry Wallop, Business Correspondent and Simon Caldwell
Last Updated: 2:04am GMT 16/02/2007
It is as Irish as shamrock and the Blarney Stone, but a pint of Guinness is falling out of favour in its home country.
The iconic drink, which has been brewed in Dublin for the last 250 years, is suffering a severe downturn in sales, the company admitted yesterday.
Diageo, the UK drinks giant that owns Guinness, said volumes of the stout fell by 10 per cent in Ireland in the last six months as increasing numbers of drinkers die off.
Paul Walsh, Diageo's chief executive, said: "What is happening in Ireland is that 50 to 60 year olds who were going out five or six nights a week and drinking five or six pints are being replaced by a younger consumer, who goes out three nights a week and drinks two to three pints."
Drinks experts think the problems could run deeper than a shift in demographics.
Roger Protz, the author of the Good Beer Guide, said: "Guinness is not the beer it used to be 20 or 30 years ago in my view. It is now thinner and has a rather unpleasant bitterness."
The company insists it has not changed the "taste profile" of Guinness in recent years and said it was still the favourite drink in the pubs of Dublin, Galway and Kilkenny, outselling nearest competitor Heineken by two to one.
The Catholic bishops of Ireland have added to the company's woes, calling for their flock to give up the black stuff for Lent - meaning that drinkers would have to stay dry on St Patrick's Day.
As movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn said, "If people aren't going to the movies, you can't stop them."
Since when?
Nasty sludge anyhow.
I guess I am just going to have to drink more to make up the difference.
More for me!!!
Yeah, sales seem to be increasing over here.
It's OK, but I prefer "Old Peculiar".
.....increasing numbers of drinkers die off....
In America this statement would have lawyers digging up plaintiffis from their graves...... Guiness kills.
Yipes! "Old Peculiar" is a bit stout for me!
"What is happening in Ireland is that 50 to 60 year olds who were going out five or six nights a week and drinking five or six pints are being replaced by a younger consumer, who goes out three nights a week and drinks two to three pints."
Where's their patriotism?
The Irish make good whiskey though.
a man walked into a pub and ordered 4 pints of guinness..the barman asked him what was going on..the patron said "nothing, but I have 3 brothers scattered about the world, and we all swore we'd have a pint for all of us so we feel like we're drinkin together"..
this went on for about a year, then one day the patron walked in and ordered only 3 pints..the barman approached and offered his condolences on the loss of one of his brothers..the patron replied, "my brothers are all fine, it's just that I gave up drinkin"....
thank you, thank you..I'll be here till thursday
Not sure if it qualifies for the home brew ping but...
Amen, my FRiend! With more around, I'll just have to increase my consumption!
Slainte!
Francis, himself
It's pretty potent. I have fond memories of sitting in English pubs, drinking a pint or two of Old Peculiar & eating a pot pie.
''Old Peculier''.
Theres a home brew ping?
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