Pub launches anti-Dry January promotion with cut price pints of Guinness

As many Brits embark on ‘Dry January’, abstaining from alcohol after a festive season filled with celebrations, the challenge of staying sober while others indulge can be daunting.

The initiative is seen as an opportunity to detox and save money, yet it may lead to a sense of isolation for those who notice their peers are not joining in the alcohol-free month.

However, the Necarne Arms pub in Irvinestown, Northern Ireland, is defying the trend by launching an anti-Dry January campaign.

To combat the January gloom, the Co Fermanagh establishment has introduced a special offer on Guinness, starting the year 2025 with a bang.

Their mid-week promotion offers discounted pints of the beloved stout from Monday to Wednesday, post-5pm until closing time. Taking to social media, the Necarne Arms announced: “No Dry January about here….. to start the year off we are doing pints of Guinness for £2.50 from Monday to Wednesday.”

This comes after a recent scare where Guinness shortages in Great Britain caused concern during the Christmas period, although supplies in Ireland remained unaffected, reports Belfast Live. 

Some English pubs experienced a shortage of the iconic drink following Diageo’s announcement that Guinness deliveries to England, Scotland, and Wales would be limited.

The multinational beverage company has attributed this to a surge in demand, driven by the stout’s growing popularity among young people and women in recent years. The Irish public also believe its global popularity is due to the success of Irish artists on the international stage.

It comes as young people aged 18-24 are the most sober generation with 39% drinking no alcohol at all, a survey suggests.

Four in 10 in that age group regularly or occasionally opted for no or low-alcohol alternative beverages, rising to 46 percent among people aged 25-34.

YouGov polled more than 2,000 people for the Portman Group, which represents alcoholic drink producers and brewers in the UK. The proportion of young people shunning alcohol entirely remained unchanged from last year’s survey.

Matt Lambert, Portman Group chief executive, said: “It’s fantastic to see low and no alternatives continuing to soar in popularity, while helping to encourage more mindful and moderate consumption among UK alcohol drinkers.

“We welcome the drinks and hospitality industry continuing to work together to increase choice, availability and visibility of low and no alcohol alternatives.

“And we continue to urge the UK government to provide us with the outcome of the recent consultation on low alcohol descriptors which will further facilitate growth of the UK low and no alcohol market.”