Pint of plain still top of the drinks list

A PINT of plain is still your only man as Guinness has cemented its status as the most popular drink in Irish pubs.

A study in the Hospitality Ireland magazine from sales in 8,643 pubs, clubs and hotels across the country shows Guinness still tops the pile in terms of draught drinks ahead of Heineken, Budweiser, Carlsberg and Smithwicks.

Of the top five, only Heineken is not distributed by Diageo, the owners of Guinness.

Bulmers, one of the most visual brands in the “pint bottle” market tops the bottled list while Smirnoff heads up the spirits market.

Wolf Blass is the most popular “quarter bottle” (187ml) wine while Coca-Cola tops the soft drinks market.

It is the first time drinks’ rankings have been published by a trade publication representing the hospitality and drinks sector.

Deputy editor of Hospitality Ireland Stephen Wynne-Jones said: “It’s not surprising Guinness tops the list, as it accounts for one in three pints sold in this country. This report not only showcases the drinking habits of the Irish consumer but also represents an important tool for the on-trade in terms of which brands to stock in their establishments.”

Marie Buckley, senior account manager with Nielson who was also involved in the research, stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy pub trade to the economy.

“The share of the total alcohol market in Ireland that the on-trade captures has been shrinking over the past number of years. Over the past year, we have seen on-trade volumes drop by 6%, while we have seen off-trade volumes grow by 2%. Increased promotional activity in the off-trade has further increased the attractiveness of buying alcohol in the off-trade.

“Yet the on-trade remains a key industry for the Irish economy. Despite the fact almost 60% of Irish consumers claim to now visit a licensed premises less often, consumers still consume alcohol out of the home more often than our British neighbours and consume more on-trade,” she said.

Top alcoholic and soft drinks

- Draught

1. Guinness

2. Heineken

3. Budweiser

4. Carlsberg

5. Smithwicks

6. Bulmers

7. Beamish

8. Coors9

. Murphy’s

10. Foster’s

- Bottled

1. Bulmers

2. Budweiser

3. Coors

4. Heineken

5. Miller Genuine Draft

6. Corona

7. Guinness

8. Wkd

9. Smirnoff Ice

10. Bacardi Breezer

- Spirits

1. Smirnoff

2. Jameson

3. Hennessy

4. Powers

5. Huzzar

6. Bacardi

7. Cork Dry

8. Paddy

9. Jack Daniels

10. Baileys

- Wine (187ml)

1. Wolf Blass

2. Santa Rita

3. Jacobs Creek

4. Carmen

5. Concha-Y-Toro

6. Undurraga

7. McGuigan’s

8. Paulita

9. WyndhamEstate

10. Drostoy Hof

- Soft Drinks

1. Coca-Cola

2. 7-Up

3. Schweppes

4. Club

5. Red Bull

6. Lucozade

7. Ballygowan

8. Britvic

9. Cidona

10. Finches