When Kim Kardashian and Olivia Rodrigo are seen drinking a certain drink, their rise in popularity is inevitable.
And thanks to these celebrity endorsements, drinking a pint of Guinness at the local pub has become Gen Z’s latest status symbol.
Although Irish stout has long been an essential offering in pubs across the UK, sales rose 24 per cent in the first six months of the financial year, according to the Irish Times.
But the rise in sales has upset some: critics claim that Generation Z has made liking Guinness a “personality trait.”
Elsewhere, other people desperate to get into the Guinness rumor mill have recorded themselves pretending to like the drink or drinking it so regularly that they become “desensitized” to the taste.
UK-based Alanna Beattie (pictured) has tried to join the Gen Z Guinness trend, even though she doesn’t like the taste. As she does so, she tries a sip of her boyfriend’s pint each time until she likes it.
Earlier this year, JD Wetherspoon revealed that the black material was behind a huge rise in sales.
Wetherspoon, which runs 809 pubs across the UK, said like-for-like sales rose 5.2 per cent during the 13 weeks to April 28 compared to a year earlier, with total sales up 3.2 per cent. 3 percent.
But critics have criticized Gen Z drinkers for flaunting their love of Irish stout, claiming it has become a “personality trait” despite it being nothing unique.
On X, formerly Twitter, one wrote: “Drinking Guinness is not a personality trait, get a grip.”
“It’s become the new ‘I’m too interesting to order a conventional lager or ale’ now that craft beers are a bit boring,” added a second.
A third asked: “When did drinking Guinness become a personality trait?”
Another wrote: ‘I’ve recently started enjoying a pint of Guinness. Am I going to make this my new personality trait? You bet I am.
On TikTok, UK-based Alanna Beattie revealed that she’s on a mission to like Guinness, even though she currently doesn’t like the taste of it.
These days, Alanna doesn’t like the taste of stout, but to change sides, she tries a little of her boyfriend’s pint every time he orders one.
Owen Vincent (pictured) from London created a meme claiming that people pretend to like the taste of Guinness to fit in.
Georgia Walsh (pictured), 24, from Ireland, claimed that girls claim they like Guinness to get attention; in other words, a “girl who chooses me.”
Olivia Rodrigo was spotted drinking a pint of Guinness in a British pub as the drink’s popularity continues to grow.
Kim Kardashian made headlines after enjoying a pint of Guinness and a shot of baby Guinness in a London pub in March 2023.
Meanwhile, Georgia Walsh, 24, from Ireland, made a TikTok explaining that “pick me girls” are clinging to Guinness to look modern.
By ‘pick me girls’, Georgia means a type of person who works to try to get attention.
Elsewhere, Owen Vincent from London made a meme pretending to like Guinness to look cool and impress his friends.
It has seen a rise in dedicated accounts on different social media platforms bringing together collages and videos of the most photogenic pints of Guinness across the UK.
JD Wetherspoon has said growing demand for Guinness from younger customers and recovering demand for beer helped the UK pub chain boost sales over the past three months.
Wetherspoons owner Tim Martin said the group has benefited from the growing popularity of Guinness and the resurgence of some traditional beers.
“Sales during the period continued the steady recovery from the pandemic,” he said.
‘Traditional beers, which were very slow after lockdowns, are gaining momentum, with Abbot Ale, Ruddles Bitter and Doom Bar showing good growth, as are beers from the many small and microbreweries we trade with.
“The fashion gods have smiled on Guinness, previously consumed by kids my age, but now widely adopted by younger generations.”
Critics took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain that Generation Z has made liking strong beer its personality trait.
One of the ways many people judge a good Guinness is by what is colloquially known as the “tilt test,” in which drinkers tilt their pint at a 45-degree angle to see how creamy the Guinness is.
They claim that if it is level, the contents of the drink will not spill over the top of the glass despite being at an angle.
Another method of judgment used is the amount of so-called ‘shtick’, a phrase popularized by content creator Darragh Curran, formerly known as The Guinness Guru.
Drinkers say that a superior pint will have more “trick” in the glass once the pint is finished, showing smoothness and, supposedly, superior flavor.
According to Guinness, a pint of beer should be poured in 119.5 seconds in two stages, but whether or not this is effective is a common dispute among stout drinkers.