The Default Pint Just Flipped: Guinness 0.0 Now Outsells the Original on Ocado

Here is a sentence that would have read as satire in 2019: the best-selling Guinness on Ocado is the one with no alcohol in it. Per Ocado's own numbers, 53% of all Guinness deliveries on the platform are now Guinness 0.0 — the alcohol-free version has overtaken the original on a major UK retailer for the first time, on its way to roughly £50 million a year in sales.

Now the caveat most of the coverage is skipping, because we'd rather you trust us than click us: this is one retailer, online only. Ocado shoppers skew planned, premium and delivery-first — exactly the crowd moderating hardest — and nationwide, in pubs and supermarkets combined, the original still wins. But "the default Guinness is alcohol-free somewhere real" is still a milestone this category has never hit before. Here's what flipped, and what to drink about it.

Guinness 0.0's origin story makes the milestone sweeter. It launched in autumn 2020 and was recalled within weeks over a contamination scare — about as bad as a beer launch gets. Diageo relaunched it the following year, and what happened next is the clearest proof in the category that product quality decides everything: the cold-filtered 0.0 kept the nitro creaminess and roasted character that make the original what it is, drinkers noticed, and it went on to become the most widely poured alcohol-free draught beer in Britain. Our community rates it 8.1/10 at 17 kcal per 100ml — the most convincing pint substitute we've tested.

The backdrop makes it less surprising: no/low is now the UK's fastest-growing beer category, with a record 64 million pints forecast for this summer and 87% of pubs stocking at least one option. IWSR expects alcohol-free to become the world's second-largest beer category by volume. Guinness 0.0 isn't an outlier — it's the flagship of a fleet. (For where the labelling law is heading next, see our 0.5% debate explainer.)

Guinness 0.0 is most people's gateway stout — and dark beer happens to be alcohol-free brewing's strongest suit. All four of these score higher with our community than the Guinness does:

Is Guinness 0.0 really outselling normal Guinness?

On one channel, yes: 53% of all Guinness deliveries on Ocado are now the 0.0 version, per Ocado's own data. That's online grocery only — nationwide and in pubs the original still sells more. But a major retailer where the default Guinness is alcohol-free is a genuine first.

How big is Guinness 0.0 now?

Close to £50 million a year in sales, from a beer that only launched in 2020 — and whose launch was so troubled it was recalled within weeks. It's now one of the most widely poured alcohol-free draught beers in UK pubs.

How strong is Guinness 0.0, and how many calories?

It's a true 0.0% ABV and 17 kcal per 100ml (75 kcal per 440ml can), making it one of the lightest stouts we track. Full details on our Guinness 0.0 review page.

Why is alcohol-free Guinness so popular?

Three things: it's one of the most convincing like-for-like substitutes in all of alcohol-free beer; it's everywhere, on draught and in supermarkets; and the wider category is booming — no/low is now the UK's fastest-growing beer category, a story we cover in our 0.5% labelling debate explainer.

What should I try if I like Guinness 0.0?

Dark beer is quietly alcohol-free brewing's strongest suit. The four stouts ranked above — from Big Drop's Galactic Milk Stout to Northern Monk's Heaven AF — are all rated higher than Guinness 0.0 by our community, and our Guinness swap page matches you to alternatives by taste.

Sources: inside.beer, citing Ocado data via GB News · IWSR category projections · BBPA category figures as previously reported.

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