Guinness, it's now even better for you

IRELAND - Ireland's changed and more bustling lifestyle has led Guinness, one of the world's best-known drink brands, to experiment with a new reduced-strength pint of stout.

The company promises that the new pint, called Guinness Mid-Strength, is identical to traditional Guinness except its alcohol content is significantly lower.

The idea is that this is a new Guinness for a new age in which Irish men want to have their pint but also want to keep a clearer head for their more hectic and exacting lifestyles.

A Guinness executive said: "People are very busy. The working week is quite long. There are times when you want a couple of pints but you don't want the fuller hit of a higher-alcohol product.

"We believe this will be appealing to 25-45-year-old males - guys with family commitments and work commitments.

"We're saying, if on occasion they want a beer with less alcohol, this is it."

The new product will not cost any less, but its alcohol content will be 2.8 per cent rather than the regular 4.2 per cent.

Next month it will go on sale in pubs in Limerick, a city which is said to have a particular fondness for Guinness.

After six months, the company will decide whether it is a success and should be brewed on a larger scale.

The new approach is in line with the policy of the Irish Government, which has for years expressed concern about excessive and "binge" drinking, especially among the young.

Several years ago a major report urged a series of measures to reduce alcohol consumption, including changes to pub opening hours, the banning of "happy hours" and the development of lower-alcohol drinks.

- INDEPENDENT