Guinness adds new IPA and Pilsner to its portfolio

13-Mar-2018 - Last updated on 13-Mar-2018 at 13:01 GMT

On-trend: the beers tap into consumer demand for new and interesting styles

Diageo has announced the launch of two new beers in the UK on-trade from its Guinness brewery in Dublin.

Open Gate Citra IPA and Open Gate Pilsner will be available in the UK from mid-March on draught in pubs and in the off-trade via bottles/cans.

Open Gate Citra IPA (5% ABV) is described by the brewery as “a balanced beer packed with Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops for juicy fruit and bitter citrus notes”.

Joining it is Open Gate Pilsner (4.5% ABV), a dry hopped pilsner with Amarillo and Cascade hops, described as having “a zingy, citrus taste profile and a clean, slightly bitter finish”.

New range to be enjoyed

Speaking about the inspiration for the beers, lead brewer Peter Simpson said: “As brewers, our goal is to introduce people to the more flavoursome possibilities of beer. At the end of the day, trying new beers should be a really fun experience for people so we wanted to create a new range of great tasting beer styles for people to enjoy.”

Diageo Europe beer category director Jeremy Kantar added: “Guinness has been sharing beer with people around the world for over 250 years. Our Open Gate Brewery pays that heritage forward by making it easy and enjoyable for people to discover new beers.

“We spent a lot of effort to ensure that everything we do — from the colours on our labels to our language around flavour — enables people to find a beer that’s right for them and one that they’d enjoy trying.”

Tapping into demand for craft

Last week, it was revealed that both the beers would be exclusively previewed at the Publican Awards 2018. Diageo’s innovation and commercialisation manager Katie Hunter told The Morning Advertiser that the beers were a response to rising demand for new and interesting styles from drinkers.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be in this vibrant category as consumers are becoming more and more interested in trying new and different beers,” she said. “Craft and world beers are performing highly as people consistently opt for ‘beers of taste’.”

“Beer is likely to develop its journey into more interesting flavours and origins as consumers’ desire for taste continues, as well as curiosity around provenance.”

The beers will also be previewed to the public at Street Feast’s Hawker House food market in London this weekend.