Diageo hopes US prefers blonde beer

As Americans do not seem to understand the joy of a ‘pint of plain’, Guinness has brewed a blonde lager they can enjoy from a bottle.

With sales of the stout falling by 6% in North America in the year to the end of June, following a 2% decline a year earlier, Business Week is reporting that Diageo plans to introduce to a Blonde American Lager next month in the hope of reviving fortunes in the market.

Diageo has cited competition from craft beers and weak demand as reasons for the recent decline in Guinness sales.

It is not the first time that the famous black beverage has considered going a little lighter for the taste of the American drinker. In 1988, it launched Guinness Gold in the US and, although briefly popular on the East Coast, it never really took off and was eventually discontinued in 1992.

In 2011, Guinness had another crack at the US by introducing its Black Lager. Although it did contribute to a brief bump in sales, it never really caught fire across the pond.

The new Blonde American Lager will be brewed in Latrobe in Pennsylvania, using yeast imported from Dublin. As for taste, it is being described by Diageo director of beer business Doug Campbell as having quite a hoppy taste and being a touch “biscuity”.

Guinness Blonde is expected to be a permanent addition to the company’s expanding lineup, although Business Week reports that the company’s future non-stout offerings may be temporary.

It is clear that Guinness is not sparing any expense in the effort to get Americans to buy into the brand, placing an ad in Playboy magazine recently bragging that “the most talked about American blonde in years… will come from a most unexpected source”.