The company behind Guinness and Smirnoff is set to invest £606 million in a new facility situated near Newbridge.
This brewery, which officially opened its doors on May 11, 2026, will primarily concentrate on crafting various lagers and ales, including brands like Hop House 13 and Smithwick’s.
Following an initial investment of around £260 million in the site, Diageo has recently announced its plans to construct a second brewery next door, dedicated to producing Guinness and Guinness 0.0 for export markets.
Initially revealed in 2022, this initiative aimed to allocate more production space for Guinness and Guinness 0.0 at the St James’s Gate brewery. However, escalating demand has necessitated the expansion of brewing facilities.
Upon reaching full operational capacity, this new site is expected to yield two million hectolitres annually, positioning it as Diageo’s second-largest brewing location in Ireland, second only to the flagship St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin.
Colin O’Brien, Diageo’s head of global beer supply, stated, “We will continue to make Guinness for Ireland, the United Kingdom and also our big American market in St James’s Gate.” He added, “The brewery here will support the growth of Guinness in new markets and the developing markets we have around the world.”
O’Brien expressed optimism regarding the brand’s performance, noting, “We’re seeing fantastic performance of Guinness both in North America and across our other global markets. We’re really confident that with this investment, we can continue to support that growth.”
He also acknowledged challenges, saying, “Tariffs are an issue, but we’re working through that and trying to drive the efficiencies the best we can through a new brewery here to minimise the impact of that on consumers.”
The opening of the Newbridge facility is part of a comprehensive £865 million investment that Diageo is making in its Irish operations throughout the 2020s. This extensive plan also encompasses enhancements at the St James’s Gate brewery and the Belfast packaging site to boost capacity and support the production of Guinness 0.0.
Further initiatives are in the pipeline to advance the decarbonization efforts at the St James’s Gate location.
