Irish beverage giant Guinness is launching a brand new black beer in Northern Ireland and Malaysia. Parent company Diageo will be anxious the new drink - simply called Guinness Black Lager - does better than some of its previous launches. If the beer sells well it will be introduced to other markets in Ireland, Europe and the U.S.
 
Guinness has made several unsuccessful attempts to vary its brand in the past. Memorable flops include the white Guinness Breo and Guinness Light, which were specifically designed for female drinkers in the early 1980s.
 
Diageo’s managing director John Kennedy said the uniquely tasting beer would set a benchmark for new lagers.
 
“With this lager, the master brewers of Guinness have built upon 250 years of rich brewing heritage to take lager enjoyment to a new level,” he said.
 
Diageo is the parent company of Guinness, and it have decided not to launch the new beer in Ireland due to the massive decrease in alcohol sales in the country.
 
Alcohol consumption has dropped 2 per cent from its all time peak in 2001 and over 15,000 jobs have been lost in the sector in the last year alone.