The brewer said that from January, it would be starting a “phased replenishment” of the supply chain to ensure supplies were back to normal in time for the Guinness Six Nations Rugby tournament.
However, it would still continue to supply under allocation for the remainder of December, it added.
The company said they were grateful for customers' patience at a time when, for some operators, supplies were drying up. Diageo blamed the situation on unprecedented demand, although many in the industry remain baffled, as while Guinness has seen astonishing growth, it has been a steady increase over the year rather than a sudden spike.
At the moment, supplies to the trade seem erratic, with some pubs reporting no issues, while others are struggling to source any in the run up to the important festive trade.
Many pubs have switched to alternative stout products in a bid to avoid customer disappointment, and one marketing savvy pub even introduced a Guinness rationing card.
Others in the trade also expressed frustration with the fact Diageo had managed to lay on supplies for the recent UKHospitality Christmas party, yet had not been able to supply product to their pubs.
A Diageo spokesperson said: “We are grateful to all our customers for their engagement, collaboration, and patience over the past three weeks.
“We are producing more Guinness today than we ever have in our 265-year history, and we continue to work closely with customers across our network to manage Guinness distribution as efficiently as possible, ensuring we maximise supply and minimise disruptions for pubs and retailers.
“Demand remains at unprecedented levels, and we will continue to allocate supplies on a managed basis until the end of December, before beginning a phased replenishment of the supply chain in January to ensure a return to normal for the Guinness Six Nations.”