Ireland: Heineken launches its own stout to compete with Guinness

Heineken and Guinness are competing to be the best stout in Ireland, the Irish Post reported on July 15.

Guinness will always be the original 'Black Stuff' to most across Ireland and beyond (although many in Cork will tell you Beamish is far superior).

Guinness sell an estimated 1.5 billion pints per year in normal times, meaning Heineken are up against a monster competitor - but that hasn't stopped the company from launching their very own stout.

'Island's Edge' is the newest gift from Amsterdam-based brewery Heineken, usually known for their refreshing lager and zero-alcohol products - but their brand-new stout is proving very popular among those lucky enough to have tried it.

Promising to be smooth, creamy and "unexpectedly refreshing", Island's Edge will arrive exclusively to select Irish pubs in the coming weeks - and to give it the extra Irish push to try and compete with Guinness, Heineken's new stout is brewed with tea, which the company says reduces bitterness in the drink.

“Island’s Edge offers a modern take on stout with a refreshing taste and a progressive attitude,” said Paula Conlon, marketing manager for stout & ciders at Heineken Ireland told Just Drinks. “The unexpected addition of tea to the stout has resulted in a smoother, creamier, more accessible stout which consumers loved in taste tests.”

One Dublin pub, The Green Room Bar, has excitedly announced that it has already got its hands on the eagerly-anticipated new product, saying they are "officially proud pourers of [Ireland's Edge]" agreeing that it is "smoother, creamier and unexpectedly refreshing".

The Guinness rival will be rolled out to 300 Dublin pubs in the coming weeks, before being followed by a wider release later in the year - but this will be a pubs-only product, meaning you'll have to be sitting in a bar to try it out.

14 July, 2021