What Guinness does

Guinness is a global beer brand and the world's most popular stout, founded in 1759 at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and operating as a brand division of Diageo Plc (parent owner). The core product is the flagship Guinness Draught stout (4.2% ABV), differentiated by a nitrogen widget inside cans that recreates the iconic two-part pub pour at home, complemented by patented Nitrosurge ultrasound pour technology and MicroDraught home-tap dispense hardware. The portfolio extends to ten additional variants including Guinness 0.0 (non-alcoholic, the UK's No. 1), Foreign Extra Stout, Hop House 13 lager, Cold Brew Coffee Beer, and West Indies Porter, plus experiential venues at Dublin, London (opened December 2025 for £73M), Baltimore, and Chicago.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: packaged and draught beer sales via the global licensed pub network and grocery/retail distribution; merchandise and glassware licensing sold through the Webstore and brand collaborations; food product licensing royalties (steak snacks via Sidari Artisan Brands, battered seafood via High Liner Foods, ice cream via Van Leeuwen, cookies via Last Crumb); and experiential tourism revenue at Open Gate Brewery venues with tiered pricing from £30 entry-level tours to £95 masterclass experiences. The GTM motion combines traditional on-premise draft sales with event-driven sports sponsorships (Official Beer of the Premier League, Title Partner of Six Nations Rugby), cultural fashion collaborations (JW Anderson, Lucky Brand), and a community-anchored loyalty program (My Guinness).

Customer reach is broad and demographically expanding: Gen Z and Millennial consumers targeted through music festivals and non-alcoholic variants, sober-curious consumers via Guinness 0.0, sports fans via Premier League and Six Nations activations, and heritage brand enthusiasts via collectible merchandise. Customer logos span Amazon, Kroger (1,500 stores), Costco, Tesco, ASDA, and Notre Dame University — confirming distribution depth across grocery, marketplace, and institutional channels. Under Gráinne Wafer's leadership (brand manager since 2019), the brand has posted double-digit compound annual growth, reached record 17.5% UK pub share, and grown volume 15%+ in North America.

Name

Guinness

Legal name

Diageo Great Britain Limited

Website

https://guinness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1759

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Guinness is the world's most popular stout brand, owned by Diageo Plc, brewed at St. James's Gate Dublin since 1759 and sold in 100+ countries. It generates revenue from draught and packaged beer, proprietary home-pour hardware (Nitrosurge, MicroDraught), food licensing, and experiential brewery venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Stout Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Premium stout brewing
• Non-alcoholic beer
• Beer brand licensing
• Home pour technology
• Experiential brewery venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Core revenue from selling Guinness draught, bottles, and cans through licensed pubs, bars, restaurants, and retail outlets globally
2. Merchandise Licensing: Licensing of trademark to third parties for merchandise including apparel, glassware, accessories, and home goods sold through webstore and retail partners
3. Food Product Licensing: Licensing brand to partners for food products including steak snacks (Sidari Artisan Brands), battered seafood (High Liner Foods), ice cream (Van Leeuwen), cookies (Last Crumb)
4. Experiential Tourism: Revenue from Open Gate Brewery tours, experiences, dining, and event bookings at Dublin, London, Baltimore, and Chicago locations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Guinness fundamentally brews, sells, and licenses a portfolio of premium Irish stout and complementary beer variants produced at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin. Its core revenue drivers are draught and packaged beer sales (Guinness Draught, Guinness 0.0, Hop House 13, Foreign Extra Stout, and others) distributed through licensed pubs, retail, and e-commerce, supplemented by trademark licensing into food products and merchandise, plus paid experiential brewery tours at the Guinness Storehouse and Open Gate Brewery venues.

Product overview

Guinness is a portfolio of beer brands owned by Diageo, centered on its iconic stout brewed at St. James's Gate in Dublin since 1759. The core product line includes multiple variants: Guinness Draught (the flagship 4.2% ABV stout), Guinness 0.0 (non-alcoholic version), Guinness Hop House 13 lager, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (7.5% ABV export variant), Guinness Smooth (4.5% ABV), Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer (4% ABV), Guinness West Indies Porter (6% ABV), Guinness Original/Extra Stout (4.2% ABV), Guinness Baltimore Blonde lager (5% ABV), Guinness Special Export (8% ABV), and Guinness Clear. Supporting the beer portfolio are home-experience products including the Guinness Nitrosurge (ultrasound-powered pour device launched 2021) and Guinness MicroDraught (home tap system). Guinness also operates experiential venues: the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin (7-floor visitor attraction), and Open Gate Breweries in Dublin, Baltimore, Chicago, and the new £73 million London venue opened December 2025. The My Guinness loyalty program offers rewards and early access to merchandise, sold through the official Webstore. The portfolio spans from traditional pub draught to at-home consumption devices and merchandise, targeting both alcoholic and non-alcoholic segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guinness Draught: The flagship stout, 4.2% ABV, featuring the signature widget for home pour
• Guinness 0.0
• Guinness Hop House 13
• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
• Guinness Smooth
• Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer
• Guinness West Indies Porter
• Guinness Original
• Guinness Nitrosurge
• Guinness MicroDraught

Products and services

• Guinness Draught The flagship 4.2% ABV stout from St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, known for its dark ruby color and creamy nitrogen-infused head, available in cans with widget technology and on draught.
• Guinness 0.0 Non-alcoholic beer from the brewers at St. James's Gate that boasts the same beautifully smooth taste, perfectly balanced flavor, and unique dark color of Guinness without the alcohol.
• Guinness Hop House 13 A lager variant of Guinness at 4.1% ABV featuring a different hop profile and brewing process.
• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout Higher alcohol stout at 7.5% ABV brewed for export markets, featuring more roasted barley and a richer, sweeter flavor profile.
• Guinness Smooth A smoother variant of Guinness with lower carbonation and a softer mouthfeel at 4.5% ABV.
• Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer A beer variant that combines the flavors of Guinness with cold brew coffee at 4% ABV.
• Guinness West Indies Porter A rich, dark porter style beer at 6% ABV, brewed with additional roasted malts.
• Guinness Original The original recipe Guinness at 4.2% ABV, also known as Guinness Extra Stout.
• Guinness Baltimore Blonde A blonde lager variant brewed at the Baltimore Open Gate Brewery at 5% ABV.
• Guinness Special Export A higher strength stout at 8% ABV designed for export markets with enhanced flavor stability.
• Guinness Clear A responsible drinking variant of Guinness, positioned for occasions where moderation is preferred.
• Guinness Nitrosurge A home pour device using patented ultrasound technology that connects to special Nitrosurge cans to deliver Guinness with a smooth, domed head and rich ruby red color, emulating the perfect pub pour at home.
• Guinness MicroDraught A cutting-edge home tap system that serves draught Guinness on demand. The innovative dispense technology allows Guinness to be poured when a traditional keg system isn't available, bringing pub-quality Guinness to homes and small outlets.
• Guinness Storehouse Experience A seven-storey visitor experience at St. James's Gate in Dublin, the home of Guinness brewing for over 250 years, containing interactive exhibits on Guinness history, brewing, advertising, and the Gravity Bar with panoramic city views.
• Open Gate Brewery Experience Tours (Dublin, London, Baltimore, Chicago) Paid brewery tours and tasting experiences across Open Gate Brewery venues, including Open Gate Experience Tour, Tour to Table, and Draught & Craft Cocktail Workshop at venues in Dublin, London, Baltimore, and Chicago.
• Guinness Steak Cuts (Licensed Food Product) Premium steak snacks in three Guinness-inspired flavors (Original/Pot Roast, Coffee, Chocolate) made with real whole muscle steak marinated in Guinness 0.0, distributed through Amazon nationally and via retail partners.
• Guinness Battered Seafood (Licensed Food Product) Frozen seafood products made with responsibly sourced Alaska Pollock and shrimp, featuring signature Guinness batter flavor, distributed through Kroger (1,500 stores) and Costco warehouses in North America.
• Guinness Branded Merchandise (Webstore) Official Guinness merchandise including apparel, glassware, home bar essentials, and personalized items, sold through the Guinness Webstore and on-site at Open Gate Brewery retail.

Quantifiable outcome

• Double-digit compound annual growth since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Art of FootballcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Collaborated with fan-led creative studio Art of Football for 2026 FIFA World Cup limited-edition jersey collection available exclusively in North America. Partnership includes bartender outfitting in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, plus limited-edition Draught Stout soccer packs designed by Brooklyn illustrator Sophia Yeshi.
• JW AndersoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2026Second capsule collection launched for St. Patrick's Day featuring 17 pub-inspired pieces including workwear jeans with harp logos, bar mat-inspired hoodies and shorts, and pub carpet-patterned wool sweaters. Made in Ireland, sold at Selfridges, Nordstrom, Brown Thomas, and I.T in China and Hong Kong. First collection in 2024 was successful.
• Lucky BrandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew iteration of apparel collaboration featuring graphic tees, sweatshirts, a canvas jacket, and beer-wash jeans rooted in both brands' heritage and craftsmanship.
• Van LeeuwenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLimited-edition Guinness-infused chocolate ice cream collaboration called 'Lovely Day for a Guinness' available in select shops and online in the US. Includes sampling events and $20,000 donation to Surfrider Foundation.
• Last CrumbminorGTM or Marketing Partner$120 limited-edition holiday cookie collection featuring six flavors, some incorporating Guinness, along with collectible holiday tin and pint glasses. Three drops scheduled with Las Vegas holiday pop-up. Donation of $1 per virtual pint poured to James Beard Foundation up to $25,000.
• Transport for London (TfL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWeek-long advertising partnership rebranding tube stations including Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden with Guinness branding (pint-glass-styled route maps, Toucan imagery, harp logo roundels) to promote new Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden.
• Bristol City Women FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuinness 0.0 logo on shirts of Bristol City Women marking brand's first front-of-kit football shirt sponsorship deal in 40 years. Return to shirt sponsorship after Premier League's upcoming ban on betting company sponsors.
• The Drum AwardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry recognition body for advertising and marketing excellence. Guinness Glassphemy campaign won multiple awards including Gold in Advertising CPG & Food and Gold in Integrated Campaign.
• Stephen O'Kelly (Guinness Global Brand Director)coreOthersGuinness's global brand director leading the transformation, stated JW Anderson partnership expected to deeply resonate with brand's global community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heineken: Global premium beer brand owned by Heineken N.V., with similarly broad geographic distribution and significant on-premise pub presence. Both brands compete for premium draught occasions in UK, Europe, and emerging markets, and both have launched non-alcoholic variants (Heineken 0.0, Guinness 0.0) targeting health-conscious consumers.
• Stella Artois: Premium European lager brand owned by AB InBev, directly competing with Guinness in UK and Irish on-premise channels for premium draught occasions. Similar heritage positioning (Stella launched 1366, similar age-tier brand) and similar premium pricing strategy.
• Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company): Premium craft beer brand with strong US on-premise presence and heritage positioning similar to Guinness. Both brands leverage Irish/American cultural heritage, emphasize brewing craft, and have premium draught distribution in pubs and bars across North America.
• Murphy's Irish Stout: Direct competitor in the Irish stout category, owned by Heineken. Competes head-to-head with Guinness in UK and Irish on-premise channels, and historically in international markets, offering consumers a lower-priced alternative in the same stout segment.
• Birra Moretti: Italian heritage beer brand under Heineken, competing directly with Guinness for the premium imported beer occasion in UK and US markets. Comparable cultural heritage positioning and on-premise distribution strategy.

Emerging players

• Athletic Brewing Company: Largest US craft non-alcoholic beer brewer, the most direct emerging competitor to Guinness 0.0 in the fast-growing NA beer segment. Both target health-conscious and sober-curious consumers with premium positioning, though Athletic is US-focused and craft-rooted rather than heritage-rooted.
• BrewDog: Major craft beer brand with strong UK and US on-premise presence, plus non-alcoholic range (BrewDog NAKED). Targets similar younger consumers through music, events, and lifestyle partnerships, and competes with Guinness for premium at-home and pub occasions.
• New Belgium Brewing: US craft beer brand (now owned by Kirin) with strong on-premise presence and focus on experiential branding. Similar brand-building approach through lifestyle partnerships and sustainability positioning, though operates in the craft lager/ale category rather than stout.

Broad incumbents

• Modelo (AB InBev): Fastest-growing major beer brand in the US, part of AB InBev's portfolio, competing with Guinness for the same US on-premise and at-home occasions. Both have achieved double-digit growth recently by capturing Hispanic and younger demographics through cultural positioning.

Others

• Brewer's Cliff (Diageo brand portfolio): Diageo's overall beer portfolio (including Guinness, Hop House 13, and other regional brands) competes for the same parent-company capital allocation. As a sister brand within Diageo, Hop House 13 lager represents a complementary product competing for the same marketing investment and shelf space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/guinnessireland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/guinness
• Facebookfacebook.com/guinness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diageo-guinness-usa-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/guinnessgb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guinness