Unfortunately a number of brewers and distillers are currently experiencing a decrease in sales. For instance Diageo plc is seriously suffering from a drop in offshore earnings; its latest quarterly report showed that sales volumes are down 3.5%.
The only upside to this is that it is forcing alcohol companies to be more creative and it looks as if this could result in a few interesting drinks. Diageo recently released an amber ale called ‘Guinness The 1759’. It is a 9% abv ultra-premium beer made with a mixture of beer malt and peated whisky malt.
Clearly everything about this beer has been designed with a sense of luxury in mind. It even arrives packaged in a black, velvet-lined box.
Unfortunately the beer is only going to be available in selected bars as just 90,000 bottles have been produced. It’s not a cheap drink either; the recommended retail price is $34.99 (on the other hand it is a 740ml bottle). Perhaps this is why Diageo is recommending that the beer is served in a ‘stemless Champagne flute’.
Furthermore, ‘The 1759’ will only be available to the US market as, according to Guinness brand director Doug Campbell: “The United States is driving a beer renaissance that hasn’t been seen globally for decades. Today, the expectations of beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts are significantly higher.”