Guinness going into the Red?

ODS

Sales may have dropped 1/3 in Ireland since 2000, but Diageo is hopeful that their new Guinness Red will address this; and they have also reportedly got a valuation of 3 billion on the James Gate brewery site.

The only hitch is they estimatate it'll take 2 billion to produce and promote Red, and given the history of other Guinness variants, ie Breó, Lite etc, it's not exactly a sure thing. In fact if anything imo it could be a disaster, with Guinness creating another brand that doesn't last - and in the process having lost a key selling point, that it's inherently Irish and brewed in James' Gate... So fancy a pint of "Red"?

Would this be to compete with Beamish Red? In my drunking stupor last night I noticed a tap which said the above.

That's the name of the drink not the actual above line. That'd be messed up.

RoyalMarine

green guinness....
would make sense no?

Oriel

Nothing will replace Guinness.

RoyalMarine

true, but green guinness might have an advertising kick to it

Dave!

Can't see anybody buying a Guinness Red... When someone orders a pint of Guinness they know what they want and it's not bright colours and little umbrellas.

monkeyfudge

I really don't want to see what Guinness Red will do to my poop...

constitutionus

good lord. sounds like another "new coke" job to me

IMO theyre ****ed. sales are down because they alienated their core demographic by pricing them out of the market. a pint is just too fecking expensive now and people are staying at home. seeing as guiness really NEEDS to be poured from the tap that accounts to why that crowd aint buying it for home consumption.

all this flailing about is just a symptom that theyve killed the goose that was the pub trade.

WindSock

Does it taste different? Is it just the same, but a different colour? Guinness is already Red, I thought. Just a really really deep red.

ScumLord

Guinness is an institution or at least it should be. Trying to popularise it with the young uns by making it bright and shiny just won't work, it's a bit of an old mans drink but I don't mean that in a bad way. They shouldn't even bother trying to make money of it in Ireland.

humbert

Sounds like a monumentally stupid idea but greedy, greedy, pub owners/LVA are killing their own trade with 5 euro pints. In a country that drinks as much as we do, is there any need.

dumbyearbook

WindSock wrote: »

Does it taste different? Is it just the same, but a different colour? Guinness is already Red, I thought. Just a really really deep red.

Thats right actually i think the offical name is 'ruby red', saw it on some marketing stuff before,

On a different note the rings you get on a glass after a pint of Smithwicks* (in a clean glass) is referred to as 'cuffing' which im sure has a different meaning in some social circles


*again off their marketing stuff it might be used to refer to the rings left by an beverage

eldeabroad

.....is a popular enough beer over here (Basque Country and spain) and is fizzy ie: it has gas in it.

I would hope the Guinness version would be more an ale type - no/little gas smooth taste, creamy head etc... - I wud be happy to test a few (dozens) crates for them - free to meeee of course in me bar boi (in the Basque Country btw) hell they could even have the Iberian peninsula launch here

if anyone from guinness is reading this - Im serious

if anyone reading this is looking for free beer - I´m not...

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Sounds like it's going to go the way of Breó...

Dord

I heard that Guinness Red was only going to be available in the UK.

Sleepy

Is it just going to be a repackaged Kilkenny?

monkeyfudge

WindSock wrote: »

Does it taste different? Is it just the same, but a different colour? Guinness is already Red, I thought. Just a really really deep red.

That's layman's Guinness you were drinking... you think it's black.. but it's really just very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, dark red.

Nevyn

IT is too unpredictible, there are too many places that just dont' do a decent pint.

OPENROAD

Supposed to taste like bitter, so they would get a new customer in me:D

delta_bravo

People need to move onto Beamish. Far cheaper and has a nice powerful aftertaste

Proxy

Oh please stop talking about pints, i'd murder a pint of the dark cream now... actually contemplating getting a taxi into town to get one... only the oul Heineken at home here.

By the way, i'm from (outside) Galway and a pint of black is average 3.70, 3.80 in a dear pub. Fiver - F!ck off. No wonder sales dropped. I wonder how much that is to do with the publicans though. Keg of Guinness (2 years ago) was about 90e at cost, which has 80-odd pints inside it, which shows where the cost is... barmen correct me please, i'm going on hearsay from friends who are ex-barmen...

Laslo

I'll start drinking Guinness again when it drops down to 3 quid a pint. In the meantime, I'll be keeping my sh1ts a nice normal shade of brown.

delta_bravo

Proxy wrote: »

Oh please stop talking about pints, i'd murder a pint of the dark cream now... actually contemplating getting a taxi into town to get one... only the oul Heineken at home here.

By the way, i'm from (outside) Galway and a pint of black is average 3.70, 3.80 in a dear pub. Fiver - F!ck off. No wonder sales dropped. I wonder how much that is to do with the publicans though. Keg of Guinness (2 years ago) was about 90e at cost, which has 80-odd pints inside it, which shows where the cost is... barmen correct me please, i'm going on hearsay from friends who are ex-barmen...

Anyone who pays a fiver for guinness is an idiot. My limit is 4.20€ and usually get it in Templeogue for €3.60

ian_m

It is the price that discourages people from drinking Guinness. And, people go out later in the evening now because they they drink at home beforehand. Who is going to have a couple of bottles of Miller at home and then head to a club to drink Guinness? Nobody will wait at a bar in a club for a Guinness.

I love Guinness but I am not so sure red Guinness will take off. Ill definitely try it if I get a chance...:cool:
Cheers

leninbenjamin

there is so many reasons why Guinness consumption is falling... inconsistent standards in the lines and taps, incompetent ****ing bar staff who can't pour for their lives, price increases, social connotations and changing drinking habits (drinking at home as well as people drinking to get drunk and thus wanting something "lighter" they can drink more of) and the increasing availability of foreign beers...

Diageo need to sort out the current mess with the Guinness instead of resorting to marketing and creation of new lines (which they seem to attempt ever couple of years despite it obviously having little to no impact)

ScumLord

Last time I had a Guinness it was €3.10 in my town.

DEmeant0r

There is no way i'm paying over 4 quid for a pint of guiness, if i have to pay over 4 quid for a pint, it'd be for a pint of Millers, ah Millers, your pints are great

Statso

humbert wrote: »

Sounds like a monumentally stupid idea but greedy, greedy, pub owners/LVA are killing their own trade with 5 euro pints. In a country that drinks as much as we do, is there any need.

Excuse me but as a pub owner how can you say that without any knowledge of where your money is going? Do NOT blame the normal pubs, those who do not try to rip you off unlike some other yuppie pubs i can think of. The majority of the price of a pint goes to the brewery or the government. Us pub owners have no choice but to pass the cost of this on to the customers unless you would no longer care to have pubs in this country?

It is not the pubs fault that drink prices are going up. If you feel you are being overcharged try going to other pubs that aren't so overly modern and catering only to a younger crowd so they charge what they like as they know that you will pay it.

Sawa

Beamish red automatically springs to mind, and that is a nice pint.
It's an ale i think but with a nice creamy head... mmm
beamish red is amazing and i don't even drink beer and i like it!!

Just never top a Beamish Red's head off with a regular beamish...not nice!

Pete4779

constitutionus wrote: »

good lord. sounds like another "new coke" job to me

IMO theyre ****ed. sales are down because they alienated their core demographic by pricing them out of the market. a pint is just too fecking expensive now and people are staying at home. seeing as guiness really NEEDS to be poured from the tap that accounts to why that crowd aint buying it for home consumption.

all this flailing about is just a symptom that theyve killed the goose that was the pub trade.

+1 to all of that post. Over recent years I think people found it was easier and you have more choice to get loads of varieties if imported beer or wine now. Is pub business down overall?

I think this new Guinness thing is just like every other new product line they have introduced, like the Brewhouse series, Extra Cold, etc., etc., . They obviously have some freshly qualified marketing people every few years who tell them to diversify they product line and expand the market, etc., . I suppose if you have one product and one place it can be sold then you are pretty limited looking at it like that.

Dakeyras

peasants!

if it's too expensive for you then don't drink it. it isn't rocket science. go cry to someone who actually cares.

hmm, nothing like hungover anger

oh btw, guinness red shall go the same way as every other inovation that they have tried. don't fuk what ain't broken. alas they can't understand but it's amusing

gurramok

Sawa wrote: »

Beamish red automatically springs to mind, and that is a nice pint.
It's an ale i think but with a nice creamy head... mmm
beamish red is amazing and i don't even drink beer and i like it!!

Just never top a Beamish Red's head off with a regular beamish...not nice!

Where does one get to taste this Beamish red in the fair city?

I think Guinness are trying to tap into the ale market as there is a huge gap there, Smithwicks is simply not good enough for ale drinkers.

judas101

i'm a big guinness drinker so when i saw guinness red when i was over in london recently i was intrigued and had to try it.

let me first say that the normal guinness over there was first class which was surprising.

was really impressed by guinness red. it appealed to non-guinness drinkers too as well as myself and my girlfriend. they really got to birds with one stone if you ask me.

it's a great nw product. everyone is always just so sceptical about new guinness products (and perhaps rightly so)

with the brewhouse series abondoned this is going to be theie big attempt at attracting lager drinkers. hopefully ppl warm to it.

so to summarise, dont knock it till youve tried it!

oh and does anyone know for certain if were getting it over here?

Dakeyras

judas101 wrote: »

i'm a big guinness drinker so when i saw guinness red when i was over in london recently i was intrigued and had to try it.

let me first say that the normal guinness over there was first class which was surprising.

how much is guinness paying you?

godtabh

I was out last night in the Baggot Inn (before it closed down cause of a flooded jacks) and they had Genuineness Mid Strength.

Might as well just called it Genuineness for bitches as it was labelled last night

Dakeyras

kearnsr wrote: »

I was out last night in the Baggot Inn (before it closed down cause of a flooded jacks)

now there's an advertisement

The Real B-man

Guinness is going out of the black and into the red. But devotees of Ireland's national tipple need not worry, the world-famous brewer is not going bust - it is about to produce a red version of its stout.
Guinness Red is the latest variant to be developed by the good folk in Dublin. Hops, water and yeast are combined as usual but the barley is lightly roasted, giving it a rich red complexion.
This gives the drink a 'well balanced, bittersweet character', the brewers claim. The new stout will contain similar alcohol levels to the other versions of Guinness, about 4.1 per cent, and will also cost the same. It will keep its distinctive white head and will require the same patience-testing two-step pour.
The rosey tipple is being tested in a number of pubs across Britain. But a spokeswoman for parent company Diageo admitted there were no plans to market the 'red stuff' in Ireland. She said: "It is being tested on a limited basis but Guinness Red is only intended for the British market."
It is the first major new product launch by Guinness in Britain since it brought out its 'Extra Cold' variety in 1999. There are three Guinness variants currently on sale: Draught, Original and Foreign Extra Stout.
In Ireland, the firm is testing a version called Guinness Mid- Strength, which has an alcohol content of 2.8 per cent by volume.
Sales of its stouts in Britain are running at a record £1billion a year. And Guinness recently became the fourth most popular draught beer in British pubs by volume sales.
But industry experts have questioned whether Diageo can continue to boost sales in saturated markets.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412707&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

delta_bravo

gurramok wrote: »

Where does one get to taste this Beamish red in the fair city?

I think Guinness are trying to tap into the ale market as there is a huge gap there, Smithwicks is simply not good enough for ale drinkers.

UCD student bar is the only place i know of

Sawa

You can get the Beamish Red in Nash's Pub on Patrick Street, nice little place.. not too expensive either, considering its pretty much in town.

Donald-Duck

Sawa wrote: »

You can get the Beamish Red in Nash's Pub on Patrick Street, nice little place.. not too expensive either, considering its pretty much in town.

I was thinking I saw this topic months ago, then realised you bumped it

jdivision

That e3 billion valuation is bull too. Made up by somebody in the Sindo.

Overheal

humbert wrote: »

Sounds like a monumentally stupid idea but greedy, greedy, pub owners/LVA are killing their own trade with 5 euro pints. In a country that drinks as much as we do, is there any need.

Hasnt a fair bit of that have to do with general inflation and alcohol tax though.

then you have the cost of advertising... quality teams (ffs, thats just silly) and then you have the publican who needs to cover his own costs.

jdivision

Overheal wrote: »

Hasnt a fair bit of that have to do with general inflation and alcohol tax though.

then you have the cost of advertising... quality teams (ffs, thats just silly) and then you have the publican who needs to cover his own costs.

Eh, frankly no it isn't. Publicans can serve pints of lager for around e3 in Temple Bar and still make a profit - I'm buying a bunch of them this Sunday!
A bottle of Corona costs a small publican around e1.37 (there'd be larger discounts for larger volume buyers), so how the hell they can justify charging e6.30 or more is beyond me
I love the way Guinness/Diageo justify their price increase every six months on increased labour costs (people usually only get one wage increase a year, lucky workers in St James's Gate must get two) and the need to research new drinks. Well actually I'm quite happy with the product I've got so why should I pay for you to invent something else that will probably fail miserably. I'm known for buying rounds but I don't want to subsidise the drinking habits of somebody who'll buy the new product thank you very much

guinnessdrinker

I tasted Kilkenny Red in France once and it was not nice at all. Not sure about Guinness Red yet because I havent tasted it but I will give it a chance when I see it.

mikemac

ODS wrote: »

Sales may have dropped 1/3 in Ireland since 2000, but Diageo is hopeful that their new Guinness Red will address this; and they have also reportedly got a valuation of 3 billion on the James Gate brewery site.

The only hitch is they estimatate it'll take 2 billion to produce and promote Red, and given the history of other Guinness variants, ie Breó, Lite etc, it's not exactly a sure thing. In fact if anything imo it could be a disaster, with Guinness creating another brand that doesn't last - and in the process having lost a key selling point, that it's inherently Irish and brewed in James' Gate... So fancy a pint of "Red"?

I've only read the OP so this may have been raised before.

1. That site in Dublin 8 is nowhere close to being worth €3 billion
2. Where did you get the €2 billion figure to launch this product. It may only cost 1/10 of that amount. I can't belive €2 billion

cance

have the f*cktards in Guinness' learned nothing yet?

Give me a pint of Breo... oh, hows about a pint of Guinness light? ok then hows about a pint of <reserved for next Guinness marketing disaster>

_blank_

cance wrote: »

Give me a pint of Breo... oh, hows about a pint of Guinness light? ok then hows about a pint of <reserved for next Guinness marketing disaster>

Brewhouse Series springs to mind actually. Although the Toucan Brew was lovely.

I wish they'd launch this here, the Irish market is screaming out for a decent ale imo. Smithwick's is shíte, and Bass isn't in all pubs.

cance

DesF wrote: »

Although the Toucan Brew was lovely.

+1

Cuddlesworth

cance wrote: »

+1

I am a individual not a number.

minidazzler

They should not feck about with Guinness. I like it the way it is.

gurramok

Overheal wrote: »

Hasnt a fair bit of that have to do with general inflation and alcohol tax though.

then you have the cost of advertising... quality teams (ffs, thats just silly) and then you have the publican who needs to cover his own costs.

Jdivision explained it well.

Another thing is their main competitor Beamish Stout has had rising sales for the past few years despite a smaller market.
Guess what their trick was?...They didn't put up their prices, they've been frozen for last 2 years hence it usually costs around 3:50 and sells well.

That just shows you its all about greed when Guinness and publicans moan about falling sales and try the smoking ban/drink drive trick to blame the falloff for it.