Guinness Taps Run Dry? Time to Pour Local – Here’s What You could Be Serving

With Guinness being rationed and Diageo struggling to keep up, now’s the perfect time to rethink what’s on your taps and shelves. Pubs, instead of panic buying from the big boys, why not pour local? Smaller, independent brewers have been brewing rather exceptional stouts for years—often overlooked while the bland multinationals hog the limelight. There’s no shortage of brilliant local stouts (Cask & Bottle) that can easily hold their own in my opinion. ????

• Cumberland Great Corby Stout - Great Corby, Carlisle.
• Tirril Dungeon Ghyll Stout – Appleby-in-Westmorland.
• Hesket Newmarket Black Sail – Hesket Newmarket.
• Keswick K1 Chocolate Orange –Keswick.
• Swan Black, Bowness Bay Brewing – Kendal.
• Oatmeal Stout, Carlisle Brewing Co – Carlisle.

Whether it’s cask ale or bottled stout, these independent Cumbrian options deserve pride of place behind your bar. Giving local producers a chance this Christmas would be the best present you could give them—ensuring their hard work is recognised and supporting their growth through the busiest time of the year.

Big doesn’t always mean better. Guinness might be the “black stuff” of habit someone said to me yesterday, but there’s a world of local stouts ready to be discovered. Supporting these smaller producers this Christmas will not only bring fresh flavour to your taps but will also be a much-needed boost for small businesses that deserve your support.

If I have missed any other local stout options please by all means give them a shout out in the comments! Cheers to local! ??