Diageo to invest $1 bn in new facilities to double Guinness brewing capacity

Diageo announced a multi‑year investment of roughly $1 billion to expand the production capacity of its Guinness stout. The plan includes building a new brewery at Littleconnell, west of Dublin, to produce both the flagship beer and the recently launched non‑alcoholic “0.0” variant. Additional upgrades will be made at the historic St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin and the Belfast bottling plant.

Chief executive Dave Lewis said the growth of Guinness is “great” and highlighted North America as the primary new market, with emerging opportunities in India and Brazil. The expansion aims to meet double‑digit growth rates the brand has seen in recent years, countering a broader decline in beer consumption across many markets.

Diageo, the world’s largest spirits and beer group, hopes the added capacity will secure Guinness’s position in a challenging industry while supporting its broader portfolio that includes Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Baileys.