E-Malt.com News article: UK: Guinness is to launch Red beer to attract new drinkers

Guinness is to break with its 250-year tradition of serving exclusively black and white pints by launching a "smoother, sweeter" red-coloured version of the Irish beer designed to attract new drinkers, MediaGuardian.co.uk commented on August 29th.

Parent Diageo is investing almost £3m in rolling out Guinness Red, the latest in a list of tie-ups that have included limited edition Marmite and bread.

Guinness Red is made with the same raw ingredients as regular Guinness Draught but uses lightly roasted barley to give a different taste and colour.

Simon Garnett, senior innovation manager for Guinness Red, said a three-month trial - in 141 Mitchells & Butlers pubs earlier this year - had shown that the "smoother sweeter taste" had recruited new drinkers to the Guinness brand. "People who usually only drink a few pints of Guinness a year, at events such as St Patrick's Day and when watching the rugby, now have another reason to choose Guinness more often," he said.

Guinness Red will be rolled out to the London and central England and be backed by an advertising campaign in the new year.

The launch of Guinness Red is the latest in a series of slightly odd, innovative brand extensions for the famous beer brand, which has been hit with declining sales.

In February, in time for St Patrick's Day, Diageo tied up with Marmite to produce a limited edition Guinness-flavoured Marmite spread, with just 300,000 hitting supermarket shelves.

The company also launched the battery-powered "ultra-sonic" Guinness Surger that enables Guinness fans to create a proper "tight creamy" head to their beer when drinking at home.

Perhaps the most bizarre brand extension was a tie-up with Northern Irish bread company Irwin's Bakery, to create - after two years of research and development - Guinness bread. Guinness Wholegrain Bread, which has 17% Guinness content, is described as "the perfect malty bread" by Irwin's.

For those thinking there may be a danger of getting drunk at breakfast, Irwin's does note, however, that the alcohol content evaporates during the baking process.

The company, which distributes across Ireland and Great Britain, has even provided a range of recipes - such as sticky Guinness and soda bread pudding with mascarpone cream.


30 August, 2007