Dive Brief:
- Guinness is teaming with City Brewing Co., based in Latrobe, PA, to brew an American-style lager to sell to U.S. drinkers.
- The brew, dubbed "Guinness Blonde American Lager," is a distinct departure from the black stout that Guinness sells.
- The new brew comes roughly 13 years after Guinness discontinued "Guinness Gold," which failed in a five-year attempt to capture U.S. market share.
Dive Insight:
One of the stranger tales in beer involves Guinness seemingly unending, but never succeeding, attempts to win the hearts of Americans. At this point it seems that Guinness and its parent, Diageo, have concluded that Americans will never take a shine to its signature creamy black stout. But perhaps, just perhaps, by taking a brand name associated with creamy, black stout and sticking it on something neither creamy nor stout, this latest effort will work.
Perhaps. But then again, the Guinness Gizmo seemed like a good idea once.
