Diageo invests €25m into Guinness 0.0 production plant

The new production facility at St James’s Gate will help meet growing global and domestic demand for the non-alcoholic stout.

It includes six new processing vessels with a total capacity of 500,000 hectolitres (almost 90m pints), and a two-storey building, where the alcohol is removed through a cold filtration system.

All global production of Guinness 0.0 takes place at the Guinness headquarters at St James’s Gate, Dublin, Ireland, with the main export markets including GB, Europe, US, Canada, Middle East and South Korea.

0.0 ‘to account for 10% of Guinness sales’​

Domestically, demand in Ireland continues to grow since the product launched in 2021. It is forecast the non-alcoholic alternative will account for 10% of all Guinness trademark sales in Ireland in the coming years.

The business said the quality of Guinness 0.0 is a result of a four-year development process, which sees the non-alcoholic alternative taking an additional day to produce in comparison to the original stout.

Diageo Ireland managing director Barry O’Sullivan said: “This expansion in production capacity at St James’s Gate is a testament to the quality of Guinness 0.0 and the growth of the non-alcoholic category, as consumers look for more choice on different occasions. We expect the growth of Guinness 0.0 to be another export success story for Ireland.”

Availability to help sales​

Meanwhile, licensee Oliver Barden of Irish pub O’Donoghue’s, added: “Guinness 0.0 is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beers in this pub.

“It’s a great tasting alternative for those that want to experience the atmosphere and craic in the pub without any alcohol.

“I imagine this demand will continue to grow as the availability and quality of non-alcoholic products becomes more widespread.”

Diageo’s other drinks brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio and Tanqueray.