Splitting the "G" or just splitting hairs? How hype and Generation Z helped bebase a once iconic brand

One particular beer-related story that continues to dominate the news, is one that few people can have escaped. It concerns, of course the shortage of Guinness, in the nation’s pubs, clubs and bars, although perhaps it ought to read the “alleged” shortage of Guinness. So, is it a genuine shortage? Or just some clever marketing from a company with a history of imaginative advertising, because, after all there’s nothing like a story concerning the scarcity of a product that is guaranteed to boost sales. It seems I’m not the only person thinking like this, as the claim that Guinness is in short supply, comes from drinks giant Diageo, who own Guinness.

A company spokesperson stated that, “Over the past month, we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in Great Britain. We have maximised supply, and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.” This follows on from a profits warning issued last year. The MSM have latched onto this story, in a big way, and are alternating between calling it a “stunt” and a “crisis”. So, is this a PR masterstroke, - a nudge for drinkers to get down to their local and shift a few pints before it’s too late? — or is the “Black Stuff” really running out?

It's difficult to be sure, but with Diageo reporting an unexpected spike in sales of Guinness during the peak July to October summer season, where volumes were up by 23 per cent on previous years.  The group has certainly been experiencing unprecedented demand for its best known and most famous brand and has responded quickly to the challenge of meeting this demand. Diageo claim they are working proactively with all their customers to iron out faults in the supply chain, and ensure that supply can keep up with this unexpected increase in demand, but how did this situation come about in the first place?

Well, it’s hard to pin this surge in the popularity of Guinness to any one particular event, although it does seem to hinge around drinkers, who might never have given this dark Irish stout a second thought, suddenly viewing it as the best thing since sliced bread. That isn’t a particularly good metaphor, but Guinness has notably gained traction among women and young people, having traditionally been the favoured drink of older men and rugby teams. The company have gone out of their way in recent years to create a certain mystique around the brand, involving working with influencers on social media to raise the profile. of this most traditional of beer styles by Generation Z. But it goes back further than this, because over several decades, Guinness have made much play about how the beer is dispensed, with the so-called “theatre of the pour” being an integral part of this performance.

The two-stage pouring ritual, that makes drinkers wait, wet-lipped and gasping as the black, main bulk of the beer, swirls and separates out, is an essential part of this theatre. That tight, creamy looking head, that forms on the surface, as the surge subsides, and the beer settles out in the glass, creates a sense of eager anticipation in the drinker as the pints settle out on the bar. Then, once it’s ready, self-proclaimed connoisseurs tip the pint to observe the structure of the head, the dome and its creaminess.

As if this theatrical performance wasn’t sufficient, certain groups of drinker have added an extra dimension with the so- called “Splitting the G”. This is where drinkers try to swallow enough beer on their first drink that the line between liquid and foam ends up halfway through the “G” of the Guinness brand on the glass. There are variations, like getting the line to land between the text and the brewery’s Harp logo just above it. “Splitting the G,” sometimes shows up in the form of a bar bet, in which bar staff might offer to pay for the pint if a drinker can split the "G" perfectly on the first try. Alternatively, this performance can take the form of a competition between friends, to see who pays for the round, or just as a bit of fun.

If you think this is a bit of a charade, you’d be right, but having said that, getting the white line to settle just on top of the “handle” of the G, is apparently rather difficult. So why would you do this in the first place, especially as it not only annoys bar staff, but also pisses off other customers waiting at the bar. One barman was reported as saying, that It drives him mad. He added that “It’s a terrible way to drink, as you’re not really enjoying the beer properly. You’re enjoying the experience of beating your friend at something really trivial.” The same bartender went on to say that “You should get seven or eight good slugs from a pint, but if you were to continue to drink at the rate of splitting the G, then you’d only get three mouthfuls out of your beer. It’s not the best way to enjoy what has become a drink of real enjoyment.”

Other pub owners have promoted the trend, with some even offering free pints to drinkers who can pull it off, but with its connection to drinking in large volumes, at least for the initial glug, Guinness seems reluctant to embrace “Splitting the G”. The company still insist that their beer lends itself to “theatre,” claiming if you’re sitting at the bar, and watching a pint being poured, then it is quite tempting to order yourself one. There are other ways to have fun with your pint of Guinness, if you’re so inclined, including the so-called “tilt test,” whereby drinkers tilt a full glass to see if the beer’s creamy foam is stable enough to stay on top without spilling over the side.

We’ve exhausted what I feel is still a rather tentative cause for the shortage of Guinness in the nation’s pubs, although Diageo claim the situation is very much a reality after being blindsided by surging demand among younger drinkers. Guinness is having to raid its reserves in Ireland in order to boost shipments to the UK. These reserves – known as “security stocks,” are usually earmarked for Irish customers but are now being used to ease pressure on publicans in the UK who have struggled to keep up with new fans of the “Black Stuff.”

The company says it is producing more Guinness today than it ever has in its 265-year history and will continue to work closely with customers to manage Guinness distribution as efficiently as possible. The aim is to buy time to allow a “phased replenishment” in the new year that would help UK Guinness supplies return to normal. This early 2025 restock is part of efforts to avoid an even more acute shortage, with the company anticipating a fresh rush for Guinness as sport fans gear up for the Six Nations rugby championship, which kicks off on 31^st January.

There’s plenty more to read on this story in the press, and also online, and you could almost be forgiven that this story is the winter equivalent of the summer “silly season.” For my part though, I’ve had more than enough of the Guinness shortage “crisis”, real or imaginary, especially as I have never been a huge fan of the stuff. Other Irish stouts are available, and CAMRA has put together a list of alternatives, and whilst some of them have limited distribution, there will be others that more than compensate for the non-availability of Dublin's most famous export.

Finally, the majority of the photos shown in this post, result from a visit I made to Dublin, 10 years ago, as part of the European Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference. The photo, of a rather commendable attempt at  “Splitting the G” is one I pinched from a recent post by Retired Martin, where the picture rather speaks for itself.