Fingers Crossed For a Black & White Christmas!

Manx pubs could be in for a bit of festive drama this year, as the island’s favourite pint of black and white magic might be harder to come by.

Heron and Brearley, the company behind Okell’s Inns, has confirmed it’s working to manage a Guinness shortage that’s left landlords across the British Isles saying, ‘Is the keg half-full or half-empty?’

The issue? Diageo, the global drinks giant that makes Guinness, has been hit by ‘exceptional demand’ over the past month.

Despite operating at full capacity, they’ve had to place limits on the amount of the good stuff pubs can get their hands on. T

hat means weekly allocations and a lot of crossed fingers from publicans hoping to keep their taps flowing through Christmas.

An Okell’s Inns spokesperson said: ‘We’re aware of the Guinness situation.

‘We’ve had to implement limits on order quantities due to the exceptional demand.

‘While it’s challenging to predict how this will affect supply over the coming weeks, we’re doing our best to manage stock levels and minimise any disruption for our pubs and customers.’

Guinness has seen a surge in popularity lately, especially among younger drinkers thanks to TikTok trends like Split the G.

If you haven’t seen it, this challenge involves drinking a pint of Guinness so precisely that the foam lines up perfectly with the middle of the letter ‘G’ on the glass.

Meanwhile, Heron and Brearley have their own festive ace up their sleeve: St Nick, a rich and malty dark ale brewed right here on the Isle of Man. So, if Guinness does start running dry, at least there’s a local contender ready to step in.

For now, though, it’s all about managing the stock and hoping the barrels hold out until the Christmas bells ring. A Diageo spokesperson summed up the situation: ‘Over the past month, we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in Great Britain’.

With festive pints of stout under pressure, it’s shaping up to be a black (and white) Friday every Friday in the run-up to the big day.

Here’s hoping the island’s publicans can keep the G flowing – because what’s Christmas without a creamy pint and a toast to the season?

If you’re out and about this December, maybe order your Guinness with a side of patience… and a backup pint of St Nick, just in case.