JD Wetherspoon has decided not to stock Guinness at its new pub in Blackrock in Dublin, The Three Tun Tavern, according to a report in today's Irish Times.
This may be a risky move as Guinness accounts for one in every three pints of beer sold in Ireland, not to mention its popularity with tourists. A spokesman for the company told the paper, "We are not naive [about Guinness's popularity in Ireland] but we think our selection of drink will stand up well against any pub in the Republic." The spokesman added, "We like to sell our drink to customers at a certain price and the price that Diageo wanted us to sell the product at was too high."
Wetherspoon's will offer Beamish and Murphy's at €3.95 as an alternative to Guinness. Both stouts are brewed in Cork and owned by Heineken. The pub has also decided that it will not stock other popular Diageo brands such as Smirnoff, Bushmills and Bailey's. It will however stock a selection of Irish craft beers and other popular Irish brands such as Jameson and Paddy.
The Three Tun Tavern will open next Tuesday on Carysfort Avenue in Blackrock, on the site of the former Tonic Bar. It is the first Wetherspoon's in Ireland and will open at 8am and serve food until 11pm. They plan to open several other pubs in the coming months.
