A New Wave in Craft Beer: Small Brewers Take on Guinness with "Nitro" Stouts
Guinness has long been synonymous with Ireland and good taste, but its dominance in the craft beer scene is under threat from a new breed of upstart brewers. Dubbed "nitro" stouts, these beers have adopted the same nitrogenation process pioneered by Guinness in the 1950s to create a rich, creamy head.
One such brewery is Anspach & Hobday, London-based and with a passion for celebrating its own local heritage. The company's flagship beer, London Black, has won over fans with its bold, complex flavor profile and notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Unlike Guinness, which many see as too similar to an imitation, Anspach & Hobday is forging its own path.
"We're not trying to flatter Guinness by making it," says co-founder Jack Hobday. "We're creating something unique that people might prefer." This approach has paid off with London Black becoming one of the brewery's best-selling beers, accounting for 70% of production.
But Anspach & Hobday is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to small breweries taking on Guinness. Titanic Brewery in Staffordshire and others have joined the fray, with each trying to carve out its own niche in the market. Their aim? To provide an alternative that drinkers might prefer.
Titanic's managing director Keith Bott notes that while it can be hard to compete with Guinness's massive resources, he says, "It's about how we convince consumers to try something that might be a bit more challenging." The brewery has found success with its True Stout and Plum Porter beers, both of which are now nitrogenated.
As for Guinness itself, the brand seems to be experiencing some growing pains. Shortages and rationing have become commonplace, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. However, it remains one of the UK's top-selling beers, with a market share of 17.5% in pubs.
Statistics from trade body Siba show that more than 80% of indie breweries now brew stouts or porters, and craft stout sales have more than doubled last year. The emergence of these new players marks a significant shift towards darker beers, as consumers increasingly look to the "craft" movement for inspiration.
For some pubs, however, competition is less of an issue than fostering conviviality in an anxious world. The Devonshire in London's Piccadilly claims to sell more Guinness than any other pub, but proprietor Oisín Rogers believes that friendship and shared experiences are more important than rivalry.
"It's non-political, it's non-divisive," he says. "People are craving shared moments. Guinness has reappeared as a conversation starter and point of interest for people." Whether this will be enough to keep the Irish giant on top remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the craft beer scene has never been more exciting – or nitro-ated.
Guinness has long been synonymous with Ireland and good taste, but its dominance in the craft beer scene is under threat from a new breed of upstart brewers. Dubbed "nitro" stouts, these beers have adopted the same nitrogenation process pioneered by Guinness in the 1950s to create a rich, creamy head.
One such brewery is Anspach & Hobday, London-based and with a passion for celebrating its own local heritage. The company's flagship beer, London Black, has won over fans with its bold, complex flavor profile and notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Unlike Guinness, which many see as too similar to an imitation, Anspach & Hobday is forging its own path.
"We're not trying to flatter Guinness by making it," says co-founder Jack Hobday. "We're creating something unique that people might prefer." This approach has paid off with London Black becoming one of the brewery's best-selling beers, accounting for 70% of production.
But Anspach & Hobday is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to small breweries taking on Guinness. Titanic Brewery in Staffordshire and others have joined the fray, with each trying to carve out its own niche in the market. Their aim? To provide an alternative that drinkers might prefer.
Titanic's managing director Keith Bott notes that while it can be hard to compete with Guinness's massive resources, he says, "It's about how we convince consumers to try something that might be a bit more challenging." The brewery has found success with its True Stout and Plum Porter beers, both of which are now nitrogenated.
As for Guinness itself, the brand seems to be experiencing some growing pains. Shortages and rationing have become commonplace, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. However, it remains one of the UK's top-selling beers, with a market share of 17.5% in pubs.
Statistics from trade body Siba show that more than 80% of indie breweries now brew stouts or porters, and craft stout sales have more than doubled last year. The emergence of these new players marks a significant shift towards darker beers, as consumers increasingly look to the "craft" movement for inspiration.
For some pubs, however, competition is less of an issue than fostering conviviality in an anxious world. The Devonshire in London's Piccadilly claims to sell more Guinness than any other pub, but proprietor Oisín Rogers believes that friendship and shared experiences are more important than rivalry.
"It's non-political, it's non-divisive," he says. "People are craving shared moments. Guinness has reappeared as a conversation starter and point of interest for people." Whether this will be enough to keep the Irish giant on top remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the craft beer scene has never been more exciting – or nitro-ated.
just read that small breweries are giving Guinness a run for its money with their own "nitro" stouts... i think it's cool how they're trying to put their own spin on things, not just copy the Irish brand 
anspach & hobday's london black sounds like a great beer tho, never tried anything from that brewery before 
also, yeah, i can see why pubs are more worried about creating convivial vibes than competing with big brands... in this world, it's all about community & shared experiences 
I'm so down for some new brews! These nitro stouts are giving me all the creamy vibes 
and I love that small breweries are trying to carve out their own niche. Anspach & Hobday's London Black sounds like a total game-changer, bold flavors and unique twist? Interesting 
every year!
. These new "nitro" stouts are like the wild child of craft beer - they're trying to shake things up with their bold flavors and unique twists on traditional brews 
. These small breweries are bringing a level of innovation and creativity that's really exciting to see. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good stout or porter? It's like the ultimate comfort drink 
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. Oisín Rogers' comment about friendship and shared experiences being more important than rivalry really resonates with me. Let's keep it chill, people! 
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. What I'm excited about is the shift towards darker beers - it's all about experimentation and creativity in the brewing world. And who doesn't love a good stout? The craft beer scene is definitely more exciting now, with so many innovative breweries popping up everywhere 
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. Let's keep the nitro-ation going and see what other amazing brews we can discover!
. I mean, have you tried Anspach & Hobday's London Black? Dark chocolate and coffee notes are everything! And Titanic Brewery's True Stout is a close second 
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. The craft beer scene is all about innovation and creativity, and I'm here for it!
apparently it took 3 years for prices to drop after the COVID pandemic, now they're rising again and farmers are worried about the impact on their business...
Anspach & Hobday's London Black is insane, I mean who wouldn't want dark chocolate and coffee notes? And the best part is they're not copying Guinness, they're forging their own path. Titanic Brewery is doing great things too with their True Stout and Plum Porter beers.
i mean what's not to love about a stout that tastes like dark chocolate and coffee?! i feel so bad for guinness being dethroned but at the same time i'm low-key excited for this new wave of breweries 
so yay for guinness remaining relevant but also yay for new breweries coming in & shaking things up 
So, it's official, the 'craft beer revolution' is basically just a bunch of tiny breweries trying to outdo Guinness... good luck with that 
. I mean, who needs originality when you can just copy someone else's recipe and call it your own? 
And don't even get me started on the "nitro" thing, it's just a fancy way of saying "we added some nitrogen to make it look prettier". 
But in all seriousness, it'll be interesting to see how these little guys shake things up... and whether they can actually compete with the big boys. One thing's for sure, though: if I'm at the pub and I don't know what nitro stout is, can someone please explain it to me? 
. But what's cool is how each brewery is trying to carve out its own unique identity - London Black's bold flavor profile and Titanic's True Stout being great examples 
Either way, I'm stoked to see more innovation and creativity in the craft beer scene 
. And yeah, Guinness is definitely feeling the pressure with shortages and rationing going on. But at the end of the day, it's all about what the people want, right? 
. Pubs are more than just places to grab a pint – they're hubs for connection and socializing. As long as breweries keep focusing on creating those special moments, I think they'll always have a loyal following 
. It just goes to show that consumers are getting bored with the same old Guinness and are looking for something new and exciting.
. I love that pubs are now more about fostering conviviality than rivalry 
. Can't wait to try out these nitro beers and see which one becomes my go-to drink