Guinness celebrates St Patrick’s Day

With St Patrick’s Day around the corner, Guinness is encouraging revellers to make this year’s event one to remember in its biggest-ever responsible drinking campaign to date. Guinness and St Patrick’s Day have long gone hand-in-hand but this year as festivities kick off across Ireland, Guinness is encouraging consumers to try non-alcoholic beer for a more memorable celebration. The campaign, which has been created with the help of AMV BBDO, aims to communicate a message of moderation and to encourage consumers to try non-alcoholic beer.

As part of the campaign Guinness will give away 50,000 pints of Guinness 0.0 over the course of the St Patrick’s Day weekend. This marks Guinness’ largest-ever sampling of its non-alcoholic beer. Free pints of Guinness 0.0 will be available in over 300 different locations across the country. Four participating iconic pub facades will be rebranded into ‘Guinness 0.0 Pubs’ including O’Donoghues (Merrion Row, Dublin), O’Connell’s (Eyre Sq, Galway), O’Sullivans (Douglas, Cork), and Common Market (Belfast) where customers can enjoy a free pint of Guinness 0.0 on March 17th, as well as in 150 other pubs nationwide via the Any Excuse app where a pint of Guinness 0.0 will be redeemable March 16th-19th.

Other locations include Dublin Airport on March 17th & 18th, Aviva Stadium for people attending the highly anticipated Guinness Six Nations finale, Ireland v England, on March 18th and the Guinness Storehouse, where all guests will receive a complimentary pint of Guinness 0.0. Additionally, in 164 Tesco stores across the Republic of Ireland March 16th-19th, consumers purchasing a four-pack of Guinness with their Clubcard will receive a free four-pack of Guinness 0.0. Alongside the nation-wide sampling campaign, Guinness 0.0 has also launched a campaign film that depicts pints of Guinness 0.0 joining in on a chorus of celebration.

The film, “Singing Pints”, created by AMVBBO shows the pints singing along to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For a Hero”.

The video will be shown across social media channels, as well as an interactive Snapchat filter which gives users the chance to create singing 0.0 pints of their own. St Patrick’s Day is one of the key highlights in the social calendar. Guinness is delighted to be championing its non-alcohol beer, Guinness 0.0, in its largest ever responsible drinking campaign in Ireland, and encourage everyone to engage in an enjoyable and responsible way to make it a St Patrick’s Day to remember.

The campaign comes at a time when audiences are increasingly taking interest in non-alcoholic beverages, indicative of an increase in ‘sober curious’ audiences. In Pinterest’s latest Pinterest Predicts report, the platform identified a ‘Free Spirit’ trend that showed people have grown tired of being judged for not drinking alcohol. These consumers are seeking more control over when and how they drink.

More low-alcohol and alcohol-free options are allowing audiences control over their drinking habits. The Guinness 0.0 St Patrick’s Day campaign is able to promote responsible drinking while maintaining a strong hold on the brand’s Irish heritage. A compelling example of how the drinks industry is able to progress forward and keep in step with changing consumer needs.

From March 16th to 19th, the Home of Guinness will welcome visitors from near and far to experience mini Guinness Gaeltachts, sample a complimentary pint of Guinness 0.0, enjoy top Irish musical talent at The Fáilte Inn and The Liberties Stage and much more.

Whether you are visiting from overseas or over the road, the Guinness Storehouse is the perfect place to toast with a pint this St Patrick’s Festival. Enjoy seven floors of surprise entertainment from Parkour performer Glenn McMahon popping-up outside to Irish artists CEOL and The Harley’s rocking the Fáilte Inn, there is no end to the festivities. Enjoy live modern trad from Mega Trad & more at Arthurs’s Bar, before heading up to Gravity Bar on the seventh floor where you can enjoy a pint and chill out to live DJs like Cat Irvine and DJ Dandelion, while watching the rest of Dublin enjoy St Patrick’s Day.

Try to contain your shock, but people drink a lot of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day. Millions of pints are put down for the occasion alone all around the world every year. For many, the dark Irish beer—though, the brewery will tell you it is a deep ruby, synonymous with St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Guinness was first imported to the US in late 1817. Though the tradition of drinking Guinness on St Patrick’s Day dates back all the way to 1759 in Ireland.

It is a beer that was developed in 1959 as a celebration of the famous 9,000-year lease Arthur Guinness signed for the land on which the Guinness brewery sits. It was the 200th year since the lease was signed. Guinness Draught is carbonated with nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide, giving it a smoother texture than most beers exhibit. It established itself as the top-selling Guinness beer with lightning speed.

That is not entirely surprising seeing how beloved it is now and how unique it remains so many decades later.

Most Guinness lovers are familiar with that ball rattling around the bottom of their Guinness Draught at this point, but if you are new to the beer, it might take you by surprise. In 1959, Guinness Draught was released as the world’s first nitro beer. The nitrogenated beer is carbonated largely with nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide, like most beers you are used to drinking.

It took years to get that Draught format to the home market. They cracked the way to do it in 1988 when they invented that ball in the can, which is called a widget. Essentially, the drop in pressure inside the can when it is cracked open starts a chain reaction that releases nitrogen from the ball into the beer. It creates that fun cascade of creamy colors that might be the best part of ordering a Guinness Draught.

The ball is an essential part of making sure your Guinness Draught tastes right. There are a couple of images some consider to be the logo of Guinness, but the true logo is the harp, which was standardized on Guinness bottles in 1862. The design of the harp used is based off the Brian Boru Harp. Brian Boru was the high king of Ireland in the 11th Century.

Boru’s emblem was the harp.

So, in many ways, it represents Irish unity, freedom, and expression. Guinness used it as a way to show themselves as a product of Ireland. The harp, sometimes call the Trinity College Harp, can also be seen on the state flag flying outside the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The major difference between these harps and the Guinness logo is that the flat edge of the Guinness harp is on the left, while the flat edge of the Brian Boru Harp is on the right.

The other image often considered an unofficial logo for Guinness is the iconic toucan, created by artist John Gilroy. All of these illustrations were done by Gilroy when he was commissioned to create a family to advertise the brand. It is said that he was inspired by the events of the circus to create a cast of animal characters instead. Starting off with the seal in the 30s, the cast grew and grew.

The toucan, of course, became the most recognizable of the series that also includes pelicans, turtles, kangaroos, and ostriches. It is important to remember that this was the infancy of color newspaper advertising. So, when it came to putting a toucan with the word Guinness on a page, you would get the bright orange beak, that black contrast of the bird, and you would immediately associate it with the branding.

There are loads of St Patrick’s Day-appropriate recipes that incorporate Guinness.

They are even a staple at the Storehouse in Dublin. The amount of Irish stew that Guinness Storehouse passes out on St Patrick’s Day is absolutely phenomenal. If you are choosing which Guinness to use in a recipe, the Foreign Extra Stout is good for rich, hearty dishes like casseroles and stews. Guinness Draught, the world’s first nitro beer, pairs well with sweets and cakes.

Meanwhile, Extra Stout, the original Guinness, pairs wonderfully with oysters. That is a combination that has long earned praise. Guinness anticipates that people in a whopping 150 countries will sip the smooth stuff on St Patrick’s Day. As many as 13,000,000 pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide on the holiday alone, or 819% more Guinness than usual.

Overall, beer sales go up more than 150% on St Patrick’s Day, so it is easy to understand why it ranks as the third most popular drinking day of the year. There is a widely held assumption that Guinness in Ireland is better than a Guinness anywhere else in the world. However, what is inside your glass is the same product from the same brewery no matter where you are imbibing.

The reason it feels different may be the experience of having a beer at the Guinness Storehouse or elsewhere in Ireland.

What makes the difference between one pint of Guinness and the next is the atmosphere. It is the same liquid in the keg. The thing that changes is the atmosphere and the occasion. St Patrick’s Day is as good a reason as any to make a special occasion and imagine you are taking a taste of a perfectly poured pint in Dublin. The Guinness Storehouse in Ireland will be hosting a St Patrick’s Day celebration from March 16th-20th.

It is the first time the brewery has had its annual celebration since 2019 due to the pandemic. The celebration will include performances by Aoife Scott, Prodijig and the Luna Boys, as well as DJ sets throughout the day at the refurbished Gravity Bar at the top of the brewery. In the Gravity Bar, you will get a sweeping panoramic view of Dublin. Ireland has recently made it easier for foreign travellers to visit.

If you join the festivities, you will get a free pint, but do not forget your mask. Face coverings are required in the brewery. Irish brewer Guinness, alongside creative partner Quaker City Mercantile, is marking the return of St Patrick’s day with an uplifting spot celebrating all the traditions that are synonymous with the event. Called “All Together with Guinness this St Patrick’s Day”, the minute-long ad features the hustle and bustle of a typical Irish pub with a group of people enjoying pints with some of their nearest and dearest.

There is a sense of togetherness and fun throughout the video, with the merry bunch belting out the classic tune “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons before ending with the message, “All Together Now… Happy St Patrick’s Day.”

The campaign will run throughout March across digital and traditional TV channels, with St Patrick’s Day itself falling on March 17. Guinness recently made moves to capitalize on the success of its brand experience venues to invest £73m in building a microbrewery in London. Due to open in autumn 2023, it will be the first time the Irish stout has been brewed in England since 2005 when the Park Royal brewery closed. Those celebrating a holiday often associated with booze can now raise a glass of nonalcoholic whiskey or Guinness. St Patrick’s Day will be celebrated in all its revelry on March 17th 2023, as it is every year.

Pub-goers will already be looking forward to enjoying a few pints on St Patrick’s Day 2023. The day is held annually to mark the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. But, it is also a celebration of Irish culture, and it is celebrated in all four nations. In the UK, pubs are expecting to sell millions of pints on Friday March 17th as part of annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Last year, pubs hoped to sell around 14 million, and it is thought venues would also hope to sell the same amount this year, if not more. St Patrick’s Day is synonymous with a toast or two and added that pub owners across the country had been looking forward to welcoming people back to their pubs to celebrate the joyous occasion. The sales figures for pints are, however, expected to be boosted this year as the Cheltenham Festival takes place on the same day for the second year in a row.

Whether this year’s Spring Budget may dampen spirits remains to be seen.

Guinness is an Irish dry stout that Ireland is famous for. When a lot of people think of a St Patrick’s Day drink, they think Guinness. It is no surprise, therefore, that an estimated 13 million pints of the drink are consumed worldwide every March 17th. In fact, it is thought that around three million more pints of this special stout are drunk to celebrate this holiday around the world than on a normal day throughout the year.

Also known as the Feast of St Patrick, or in Irish, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, this day sees a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Irish. Although it has particular importance in Ireland where the day is an official public holiday, people across the UK also take part in celebrations. Drinking alcohol such as Irish whiskey, beer, or cider has become a customary part of such celebrations.

The Irish around the world gather to celebrate their culture on St Patrick’s Day, but in recent times increasing numbers of English people have been keen to join the party. In fact, English people were more likely to be able to identify the date of St Patrick’s Day than St George’s Day on April 23rd. The first celebrations for St Patrick were recorded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737.

The earliest mention in England came in the 19th Century, when it was seen as important for the Irish Diaspora to attend Mass on March 17th.

In later decades of the 19th Century, particularly in London and Birmingham, you would see very small, localized parades. After the Second World War they became much more formal, usually based around different Irish societies such as the counties that people came from, so you might have the Dublin society or a Mayo society parade. St Patrick’s Day faded in England during the darkest days of the Troubles when there was a nervousness about celebrating Irishness.

It did not really exist, you would have had to be somewhere like Kilburn in London to have any sense that anything was happening at all. Most of the city councils who were involved in parades started to view them as untenable, so the ones in Manchester and Birmingham stopped. The only one that kept on going through all the years of the Troubles was the London one and there was always a parade on the Sunday nearest to St Patrick’s Day.

Events during the 1970s and 1980s retreated into semi-private places like dance halls, bars, and churches until things started to change in the 1990s when a cooling in political tensions coincided with a period of popular culture when Irish eyes were definitely smiling. The Republic of Ireland won many admirers in the Italia ’90 and USA ’94 football World Cups. There was Riverdance, the soccer team was doing well and suddenly Ireland was a cool and trendy place to be involved with.