Small brewers are brewing up a storm by taking on Guinness with their own versions of 'nitro' stouts, challenging the Irish giant's dominance in the market.
While Guinness has been enjoying its moment in the spotlight, leveraging a £2.7 billion marketing budget and Instagrammable branding to woo younger drinkers, several enterprising breweries have stepped up to offer an alternative take on the classic stout.
Companies like Titanic Brewery in Staffordshire and Anspach & Hobday in London are focusing on celebrating their own local heritage rather than simply emulating Guinness. By doing so, they aim to attract customers who might prefer a different flavor profile or a more nuanced drinking experience.
Anspach & Hobday's London Black is one such example, brewed with rich notes of coffee and dark chocolate that set it apart from its Guinness rival. The brewery has found success in the space of five years, growing rapidly to account for 70% of its production.
However, while Anspach & Hobday is gaining traction, Guinness remains a formidable force in the market. According to estimates, Diageo's global sales team for Guinness would cost around £8 billion if sold separately.
As smaller breweries continue to gain ground, they're pushing the boundaries of traditional stout-making techniques and experimenting with new flavors. In Berkshire, Siren Craft Brew has started brewing nitro stouts for Marks & Spencer, while Titanic Brewery remains committed to its own unique take on the genre.
One pub in London's Piccadilly, The Devonshire, claims to sell more Guinness than any other establishment in the UK or Ireland, but the proprietor, Oisín Rogers, thinks that competition matters less than conviviality. He believes that shared experiences are what truly bring people together, and that Guinness will continue to be a staple in pubs as long as it keeps being a conversation starter.
As the 'nitro' stout market continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether smaller breweries can chip away at Guinness's dominance or if the Irish giant will remain the king of stouts for years to come.
While Guinness has been enjoying its moment in the spotlight, leveraging a £2.7 billion marketing budget and Instagrammable branding to woo younger drinkers, several enterprising breweries have stepped up to offer an alternative take on the classic stout.
Companies like Titanic Brewery in Staffordshire and Anspach & Hobday in London are focusing on celebrating their own local heritage rather than simply emulating Guinness. By doing so, they aim to attract customers who might prefer a different flavor profile or a more nuanced drinking experience.
Anspach & Hobday's London Black is one such example, brewed with rich notes of coffee and dark chocolate that set it apart from its Guinness rival. The brewery has found success in the space of five years, growing rapidly to account for 70% of its production.
However, while Anspach & Hobday is gaining traction, Guinness remains a formidable force in the market. According to estimates, Diageo's global sales team for Guinness would cost around £8 billion if sold separately.
As smaller breweries continue to gain ground, they're pushing the boundaries of traditional stout-making techniques and experimenting with new flavors. In Berkshire, Siren Craft Brew has started brewing nitro stouts for Marks & Spencer, while Titanic Brewery remains committed to its own unique take on the genre.
One pub in London's Piccadilly, The Devonshire, claims to sell more Guinness than any other establishment in the UK or Ireland, but the proprietor, Oisín Rogers, thinks that competition matters less than conviviality. He believes that shared experiences are what truly bring people together, and that Guinness will continue to be a staple in pubs as long as it keeps being a conversation starter.
As the 'nitro' stout market continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether smaller breweries can chip away at Guinness's dominance or if the Irish giant will remain the king of stouts for years to come.
i mean i know its not as famous as guinness but its got this rich coffee flavor that i've been missing since my fave coffee shop closed down in york 
anyhooo i was at the devonshire pub last weekend and they had like 10 different stouts on tap including nitro ones 
u can tell they're trying to shake things up but honestly i love guinness but its nice to have some alternatives 
also did u know that siren craft brew is now making their own nitro stouts for m&c? lowkey jealous lol
️, and I need more of that in my life.
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Guinness has been coasting on its legacy for ages, and it shows. Those smaller breweries are like the kids in the playground trying to prove they're cool by copying everyone else's outfit 
. But hey, at least they're giving consumers a choice, right? The question is, how long will people keep shelling out big bucks for the same old stout taste every time? And Oisín Rogers is like, "Dude, it's not about who sells more Guinness, it's about the vibes and the people you meet"... yeah, sure, bro 
. It'll be interesting to see if these little guys can really challenge the big guy or if they just end up being a footnote in history 
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. I mean, they're trying some fresh new flavors and not just copying what's already out there. Like, Anspach & Hobday's London Black sounds amazing with that coffee and dark chocolate vibe 
. But at the end of the day, Guinness is still a big deal 
. I wonder if these little breweries can keep up their growth spurt without losing steam 
I mean, who needs an "original" when you can just copy someone else's recipe and call yourself unique? 
. I think it's awesome that local breweries are putting their own twist on traditional stout-making, like Anspach & Hobday with their coffee and dark chocolate flavors 
. It shows they're not just copying Guinness but actually experimenting and innovating in their own way. Plus, pubs will always be about having a good time and sharing experiences, so even if smaller breweries gain ground, Guinness will still have its loyal fans 
. The thing to watch is how the 'nitro' stout market grows from here – will it become more diverse or will Guinness stay on top?
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. I mean, who doesn't love trying new flavors? Titanic Brewery and Anspach & Hobday are killing the game with their London Black stout - coffee and dark chocolate notes sound amazing 
! But at the end of the day, Guinness will always be a classic for a reason... or will it? 
... I mean, have you guys tried any of those nitro stouts? They sound so good, but also kinda intimidating with all the fancy brewing techniques involved... I swear, my friend's brother is a brewer and he's always talking about how it's an art form or something 
... anyway, back to Guinness - I love their branding, don't get me wrong, but I think it's interesting that these smaller breweries are focusing on local flavors instead of just copying Guinness. Maybe we'll see some UK-specific stout pairings with fish and chips or something 
its all about being unique and staying true to ur roots, anspach & hobdays london black sounds like a game changer for coffee lovers btw 8 billion is crazy that's like a whole country's GDP 
i swear i just want to try them all rn but at the end of the day like oisín rogers said pubs r about conviviality not just selling beer 
. And it's not just about the beer itself - it's about creating an experience around it too. Like, have you been to The Devonshire in Piccadilly? It's amazing how much atmosphere they've managed to create with just a pint of Guinness 
️.
. But for now, I'm all about supporting the local brews and trying new things 
. The more options we have, the better 