The Red Dot design award is one of the biggest design competitions in the world which requires participants to submit products, communication projects and brands as well as prototypes and concepts.

A team of Guinness innovators, designers, and taste experts developed the two patented dispense innovations as part of a mission to bring the world-renowned stout to more places and spaces.

The first brand ever to win a Red Dot Award for beer dispense, Guinness was awarded for two breakthrough innovations in beer dispense: Guinness Microdraught and Guinness Nitrosurge, with the Nitrosurge also scooping a special innovation award.

Guinness Microdraught is a world-first beer dispense system which enables pubs, bars and other outlets around the world to serve beautiful, fresh Guinness draught on tap, no matter their size or setup.

Guinness Nitrosurge, above,  puts the iconic two-part pour in the hands of consumers, with a pocket-sized, rechargeable device that uses ultrasonic technology to give drinkers a beautifully smooth two-part pour, bringing the magic of the experience of Guinness in a pub, to the home.

The recognition of the Red Dot Awards, not only positions Guinness as a leader in design and innovation but shows a commitment to a continued pipeline of innovation, exploring exciting new ways of bringing Guinness to more people, in more places.

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Coming in at a heady 10.5% ABV, Resist is an open-source beer recipe developed by displaced brewers  and The Deer’s Head in Belfast is currently pouring the beer, sourced from Otterbank Brewery in Muff, Co Donegal.

The stout is described having sweet notes of chocolate and coffee with a beetroot twist and Deer’s Head operations manager David Neely said the feedback has been great.

“It’s a strong beer and we only do two-third pints, but it’s like the Eurovision vote — the public are behind it. For us, it was a no-brainer to get involved. All year we work with small breweries and this is a great cause.”

The beer can also be found in the Ulster Sports Club, which managed to raise over £6,000 for the cause, with an all-day dance music event on Easter Sunday.

A spokesperson for the bar said: “It was a fantastic reaction. We got so much support, with so many people wanting to help out. Every DJ played for free.”

Elsewhere, drinkers can support the cause at 39 Gordon Street in the Cathedral Quarter. The cocktail bar is currently offering a ‘Ukrainian Spring Punch’, with a percentage of cocktail sales being donated.

Head bartender Nicola Campbell said: “When thinking of our summer cocktail menu, we saw the Russian Spring Punch, which we didn’t feel was appropriate. We renamed it and switched up the ingredients… As a business we wanted to do our bit. We thought it would be impactful to have the option of donating through our menu options — customers could help almost without even realising.”

The drink comprises Prosecco, berry cordial and Nemiroff vodka from the Ukrainian distillery that has ceased operations for now.

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It will see the Belfast Distillery Company link up Paragon Brands in the UK; Ligne de Vin in France; Konitsiotis in Greece; and Compagnia Dei Caraibi in Italy.

Speaking about the move, chief executive John Kelly, below, said: “Since reviving the McConnell’s Irish Whisky brand in 2020, it has been an incredible journey, and one that we see as having a strong link to the streets of Belfast in 1776, when the brand was born. The growth we have seen in new markets right across the globe shows the esteem that premium Irish whiskey is held in among consumers, and that our McConnell’s 5 Year Old Blend can compete with the very best, established brands.

“We are delighted that we have added UK, France, Greece and Italy plus three Canadian provinces to our growing pool of markets where McConnell’s Irish Whisky is available. We are also particularly pleased that we are growing our industry awards. Two recent wins in particular stand out – a Gold Medal Award at the San Francisco Worlds Spirits Competition 2022 and a Master Medal Award in the extremely competitive Irish Blended Whiskey Category at the recent DBSB Spring Tasting 2022.

“But we are not resting on these early successes in 2022, and we will have more exciting news and advances for McConnell’s and Belfast Distillery Company in the coming months.”

Along with this major expansion in the UK and Europe, Belfast Distillery Company has also managed to increase their reach in North America, with new distribution deals in Canada, where Noble Estates Wines and Spirits will manage supply to the Ontario market, McCarthy Wines & Spirits in Nova Scotia and Stile Brands in Alberta.

McConnell’s has landed a number of industry awards, including a gold medal award at the San Francisco Worlds Spirits Competition 2022 and a master medal award in the Irish Blended Whiskey Category at the recent DBSB Spring Tasting 2022.

A  £15 million plan to develop part of the historic Crumlin Road Gaol into a whisky distillery was been given the go-ahead last December .

The project is part of a wider £25 million investment by US group Belfast Distillery Company to transform parts of the Victorian prison, which closed its doors in 1996.

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The company’s ultimate aim is to be 100% emission free by the end of the decade, a target which Diageo Ireland managing director Barry O’Sullivan hailed.

He said: “We’re really pleased to announce that we will be introducing the first zero emission vehicles into our Quality fleet from this summer. We are committed to reducing our indirect emissions through this initiative and want to play a key role for sustainable transport in the commercial sector across the island of Ireland.

“We are only 263 years into our 9,000-year lease on the St. James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin and we are in it for the long haul – for our people, our products and our planet, and we will never settle in pursuit of a better, more sustainable future for everyone.”

The announcement forms part of Diageo’s wider 10-year sustainability action plan, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress, which outlines the company’s commitment to delivering net zero carbon emissions across its direct operations and a reduction in indirect emissions by 50%.

Guinness Transport through the ages – from horse and cart to zero emission vehicles 

• 1759 – accommodation for stabling 12 horses was part of the 1759 lease
• 1873 – Jetty built at Victoria Quay to allow barges to travel up and down the Liffey
• 1877 – St James’s Gate railway completed with a link to Kingsbridge (Heuston) station
• 1901 – first motor vehicles used in the brewery
• 1913 – first Guinness owned ship purchased to travel from Dublin Port to UK
• 1951 – bulk road tankers were introduced to deliver Guinness in bulk to holding tanks in bottler’s premises around Ireland.
• 1953 – transportable tanks (14 barrel metal containers) were introduced to deliver Guinness in bulk to the Cross Channel trade via the Guinness ships.
• 1970s -further liquid bulk tankers were added, known as ‘silver bullets’
• 1961 – horses and barges last used
• 1993 – Guinness owned ships last used
• 2021 – First zero emission vehicle used in the brewery

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In an era of unprecedented global growth for the premium single malt category, the new pack showcase Bushmills single malts’ timeless excellence as the original single malt Irish whiskey from the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.

The new bottle, designed by New York agency Stranger and Stranger, is broad-shouldered and angular, taking inspiration from the legendary columns of Giants Causeway and integrates subtle features such as its hexagonal punt mirroring the Causeway stones.

Vibrant colours across the range bring a contemporary elegance while discrete embossing on the side panels honours Bushmills’ 1608 heritage and iconic pot still. Quality crafted parchment labels are complemented by varnished wooden cork closures for the 10 and 16 Year Old while a bold matt black zamac cap sets off the gunmetal label and gold features of the iconic 21 Year Old.

Bushmills’ Master Distiller Colum Egan, below, said, “I am proud to put my signature to our new single malt bottles. The result of thorough reflection and considerable work by our marketing and Old Bushmills Distillery innovation teams, the new packaging certainly provides a stage for our single malts befitting of Bushmills’ status as the pioneer of Irish single malts and worthy of our generations of master whiskey makers.

“These designs underpin our Bushmills character and quality while delivering a strong and confident appeal to the new generations of single malt explorers worldwide.

“Although our bottles have changed, our whiskey has not. We are still making whiskey the old way; the way our great-grandparents and their great-grandparents made it at the Old Bushmills Distillery. Our respect for tradition ensures we’re just as uncompromising about quality as those who came before us. We will continue to maintain our iconic taste and quality of our signature smooth Bushmills Irish Whiskey single malts.”

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