Independents muscle in on craze for the black stuff with dark beers that use same nitrogen process as Irish favourite
Famously, according to the advertising slogan anyway, Guinness is good for you. But for the past couple of years, Guinness has been practically inescapable.
Backed by its owner Diageo’s £2.7bn marketing war chest, the brand has shaken off its “old man” reputation, becoming a staple of gen Z pub culture, exploiting its Instagrammable colour scheme and social media trends such as the “splitting the G” drinking game.
The resulting increase in younger drinkers and women catapulted its market share in pubs to a new high of 17.5% in 2025, helping it retain top spot as the nation’s top-selling beer, with more than 2m pints pulled every day.
Such has been the clamour for the black stuff that pubs across the country triggered a panic in the run-up to Christmas 2024, when some reported a shortage and introduced rationing.
