IRELAND'S MOST popular drink can now be enjoyed by everyone, whether or not they drink alcohol.
Drinks giant Diageo have announced Guinness 0.0, the new drink they say "boasts the same beautifully smooth taste, perfectly balanced flavour and unique dark colour of Guinness"-- just without the alcohol.
The alcohol-free Guinness is the result of a four-year-long project by the experts at St James' Gate in Dublin, where the stout has been brewed for over 260 years and is set to continue for centuries.
The new product is made in the exact same way as the original, using the same natural ingredients of barley, hops, yeast and water, before the alcohol is removed using a cold filtration method.
The cold filtration allows the stout to keep its taste, look and texture, and the resulting product is "unmistakably Guinness"-- according to Diageo, an independent panel of taste-testers found that the alcohol-free version exceeded expectations, with testers announcing the taste was "outstanding".
Gráinne Wafer, Global Brand Director at Guinness, lauded the launch of the alcohol-free product as "an exceptional day" for the company.
"The launch of Guinness 0.0 highlights our long-held commitment to innovation, experimentation, and bravery in brewing, harnessing the power of our brewers and our ingredients, to create an alcohol-free beer that is 100% Guinness but 0% alcohol.
"We know people want to be able to enjoy a Guinness when they choose not to drink alcohol without compromising on taste, and with Guinness 0.0 we believe they will be able to do exactly that.”
The new product will be rolled out across the globe next year, but will hit shelves in Ireland and the UK first (Diageo)Innovation Brewer at St James's Gate, Aisling Ryan, referenced the company's "unwavering commitment to quality" and said the brewing team is "hugely proud of the care and effort that has been put into the four year development process for Guinness 0.0".
"We have created a taste experience that we believe is truly unrivalled in the world of non-alcoholic beer and we can’t wait for people to finally be able to try it!”
Whether you're giving up alcohol for Lockdown 2.0, gave it up years ago but miss the taste of the Black Stuff, don't feel like dealing with a hangover or are simply curious to see if the alcohol-free version is as good as they say, you can try cans of the new product later this year in Ireland and the UK.
Guinness 0.0 will be available on draft from the pubs in the new year, and will be rolled out across the globe later in 2021.
