President, Diageo Africa, John O’Keeffe said Guinness has a special place in many African hearts. He made that remark following the launch of Guinness Smooth in Cameroun, the third African country that the newly unveiled brand would be introduced.
Commenting on the launch, O’Keeffe said: “Guinness has a special place in many African hearts. The iconic stout has a few special variants on the continent and here is the latest and smoothest – Guinness Smooth is now in Cameroun, Ghana, and Nigeria and will soon be in Kenya and elsewhere.”
Brewed with fruity, butterscotch flavour to provide a distinctive and perfect bittersweet taste of smoothness and refreshment, the latest addition was crafted with the Ghanaian consumer in mind and is a new expression of Guinness, developed by the Guinness master brewers.
Guinness Smooth made its debut in Africa in August, during an elaborate launch in Accra, Ghana. The star-studded event which was held at the plush Urban Grill Restaurant in Airport City, Accra was graced by John Dumelo, Caroline Sampson, Nikki Samonas, KOD, Kwame Farkye and other dynamos of the Ghanaian entertainment scene.
Celebrities present at the event described the taste of the new Guinness Smooth as “easy on the tongue.” They could be spotted enjoying bottles of the stout whiles interacting and dancing the night away with other media personalities.
A few weeks after the Ghana launch, the train moved to Lagos. The launch was another grand party that attracted top personalities and reinforced Guinness devotion to the Nigerian market and its determination to aggressively grow its market share in the country and, by extension, Africa.
Commenting on the new brew, Adesina Adewole, Guinness Nigeria master brewer said: “Guinness Smooth is a perfect partner for spicy foods and BBQ. The smooth refreshing taste balances the spicy heat, while the distinctive flavour ensures Guinness Smooth is a beer that doesn’t get overshadowed by the food.
“We did a lot of research and together with the local team and the team in Dublin, we came out with a Guinness expression that has a lager refreshing; it’s 5 per cent and it’s a Guinness that you would want to enjoy with your friends when you go out and want to have a hangout conversation.”
According to him, the new product seeks to compensate Guinness enthusiasts whose taste buds yearn for a perfect balance of bitter and sweet flavour.
Guinness Master Brewer, Peter Simpson, is optimistic the entry of the new product would go a long way to increase the company’s market share.
Dublin based brewer, Peter Simpson, who has worked with the local team said: “I love creating distinguished and exquisite beers. It has therefore been a pleasure to collaborate with the team here in Nigeria to create this beautiful beer.’’
“Bringing their vast expertise of local flavours and the Nigerian palate to my extensive experience in developing new beers, we have crafted a product that is ideal for consumers in Nigeria to appreciate as they catch up with friends,” he appended.
