Along with launching viral dances, creating celebrities out of amateur videographers and boosting the careers of artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa and Lil Nas X, TikTok has been responsible for turning a number of drinks into viral sensations. 

Whipped coffees, gummy bear mimosas, the Starbucks ‘pink drink’ and – who could forget? – the negroni sbagliato with prosecco have all found fame on the video app, clocking millions of views and presumably bringing bartenders around the world no end of grief. 

Now TikTokkers have turned their attention to a more classic tipple, driving a sharp increase in sales of Guinness in some untraditional demographics.

Created in Dublin more than 250 years ago by Arthur Guinness using water, hops, brewer’s yeast, malt extract and a combination of roasted and unroasted barley, Arthur’s eponymous beer found quick success. Sales declined in the 1970s until a tweak to the production method gave the drink a creamier finish and broader appeal. Sales remained consistent (pandemic aside) until 2022 when, suddenly, it seems Guinness was everywhere.

 

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Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram were filled – seemingly overnight – with celebs, influencers and followers downing pints of stout, many attempting to ‘split the G’, a trend that challenges drinkers to gulp their way down to the exact mid-point of the letter ‘G’ on their pint glass with their first tip of the wrist. 

Guinness’ status as the ‘it’ drink was solidified on St Patrick’s Day 2023 when Kim Kardashian posted an Instagram story of herself with a pint of Guinness and a ‘Baby Guinness’ shot (coffee liqueur with an Irish cream head), and further entrenched in May last year when Olivia Rodrigo performed her Dublin show wearing a homemade ‘Guinness is Good 4 U’ T-shirt. 

Whether it’s the celebrities that are convincing stout newbies to try the dark stuff, or the popularity of the beer that’s driving celebs and influencers to get involved, the impact is undeniable. Parent company Diageo reported that Guinness saw a 24 percent increase in European sales between July and December 2023 alone, with most of the increase attributable to women aged 25 to 44. Guinness, they reported, was accounting for one in nine beers served in UK pubs.

In December 2024, UK pubs experienced a Guinness shortage due to the beer’s popularity, with supplies rationed and some pubs running out completely.

 

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Australian venues, too, have seen a spike in Guinness interest, with more and more pubs adding taps to meet demand.

“We have seen a large increase in demand for Guinness across our venues,” says Reece Griffiths, group bars manager for Solotel, who cites customer demand for the fact that they now offer the Irish stout at four of their Sydney venues (Edinburgh Castle, The Erko, Kings Cross Hotel Sports Bar and House Bar at Barangaroo House). “We didn’t have any on tap in 2022.”

Notoriously hard to ‘pull’ (aka pour) correctly, with the ideal pint said to only be possible using a time consuming ‘three-stage pour’, dedicated social media accounts seek out the best (and worst) examples in town. The GuinnessOfSydney and GuinnessOfMelbourne Instagram accounts keep tabs on the best of their respective cities, while the official Australian Guinness Pub Finder website lets your geo-locate your nearest freshly-pulled pint of stout.

Even those adverse to drinking beer aren’t excluded from Guinness’ sudden trendiness. The stout has become a popular cocktail ingredient on TikTok, from the classic Black Velvet – a drink combining Guinness and Champagne that originated in the 19th century – to contemporary combinations, like Guinness espresso martinis, Guinness punch (a Jamaican combination of stout, condensed milk and spices) and the Baby Guinness shot immortalised by Kim Kardashian.

Guinness’s uptick seems to coincide – probably not coincidentally – with a broader global fascination with all things Irish. Paul Mezcal, Cillian Murphy and Colin Farrell charm with their accents on red carpets, authors like Sally Rooney, Paul Murray and Paul Lynch are fixtures on bestsellers list, shows like Normal People and Derry Girls have been wildly popular, and films like The Banshees of Inisherin and the Irish-made Poor Things have had their share of awards recognition.

Whether this wave of love for the Emerald Isle and newfound fondness for Guinness will translate into long-term sales increases remains to be seen. What’s clear, though, is that the beer has captured the imagination and tastebuds of a new, diverse audience. The impact of this viral moment is undeniable, and as more people raise their glasses to toast with a creamy pint, Guinness is solidifying its status not just as a beverage, but as a cultural phenomenon. Not bad for a 250-year-old beer.

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