Diageo opens historic Guinness experience in heart of London

LONDON, 8 DECEMBER 2025, 1200 – Diageo, maker of Guinness, this week opens the doors to its highly-anticipated Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London, marking a bold new chapter for the iconic stout and return of brewing to Covent Garden.

The new £73 million world-class visitor experience and working microbrewery sits at the heart of the UK capital, transforming Old Brewer’s Yard – a site that first brewed beer back over 300 years ago – into a modern destination that celebrates craft beer, gastronomy, retail, and community. Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London will showcase the very best of Guinness hospitality, providing visitors with new ways to enjoy the nation’s favourite beer.

The new 54,000ft venue, which will be open to the public from Thursday 11 December, features:

• A world-leading working microbrewery where Master Brewer Hollie Stephenson will create limited-edition craft beers and seasonal specials including non-stout varieties and low-alcohol options. A beautifully poured Guinness and Guinness 0.0, which will continued to be brewed in Dublin, will also be served.
• Access to Guinness’ world class beer offering, with the highly-anticipated tour including a guided tour of the brewery, exclusive tasting sessions, and a 360-degree digital experience telling the story of Guinness in London.
• Two restaurants led by acclaimed British chef Pip Lacey, showcasing locally sourced British produce and inventive Guinness pairing suggestions.
• A ground-level courtyard bar and eatery in the heart of Old Brewer’s Yard, open to the public for casual dining and community gatherings.
• Two retail stores showcasing exclusive Guinness collaborations, limited-edition and best-selling merchandise, and custom experiences.
• A dedicated private-hire event venue for cultural, community and trade events throughout the year.

With London welcoming more than 20 million visitors each year¹, this week’s opening reflects Diageo’s long-term investment in Great Britain and its vibrant hospitality and tourism sector. The venue will create up to 250 new jobs and serve as the southern UK hub for Diageo’s award-winning Learning for Life programme, offering free hospitality training for those looking to build careers in the industry. Learning for Life has to date helped more than 8,000 adults across the UK start careers in hospitality, with 100 further students set to graduate from Guinness Open Gate Brewery London from April next year.

Barry O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Diageo Great Britain, said: “This week marks a proud moment for Diageo and Guinness in Britain. London has played a critical role in Guinness’ success throughout its history, and two centuries after the black stuff arrived in the UK capital, one in seven pints poured in the city is now a Guinness. This iconic stout has always been about bringing people together, and Open Gate Brewery London builds on that tradition, creating a vibrant space where both visitors and the local community can connect, celebrate, and experience the very best of Guinness hospitality.”

The London site is the fourth Guinness Open Gate Brewery site globally and builds on Diageo’s expanding portfolio of brand homes around the world. This includes the original Guinness Storehouse at St James’ Gate in Dublin, which tomorrow celebrates its 25-year anniversary and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors since opening. Guinness’s three existing Open Gate Brewery locations are Dublin, Guinness’ first experimental taproom with creativity, community and innovation at the core, and Baltimore and Chicago, where 267 years of Irish brewing expertise meets American beer culture and creativity. 

Gráinne Wafer, Global Director: Beer, Liqueur & Vodka, said: “Guinness is a brand rooted in a 267-year history but always looking forward, and this week’s opening signals the next chapter in the iconic stout’s extraordinary global story. Complementing the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin as Guinness’s definitive brand home, our fourth Open Gate Brewery will continue our commitment of providing new platforms to engage existing fans, welcome new audiences, and celebrate Guinness’ celebrated blend of heritage and innovation.”

Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London is a space built for the people of London. From local supplier partnerships and a focus on sustainability to community programming and open event access, the site has been designed to contribute positively to its surroundings. The event spaces will be made available to local businesses and residents without a hire fee, ensuring the brewery plays an active role in supporting London’s creative and cultural life.

Diageo expects to welcome over half a million visitors to the new Covent Garden site in its first year, deepening engagement with loyal Guinness fans, new consumers, and members of the community.

Rob Abernethy, Chief Executive of the Mercers' Company, said: “We are delighted to welcome Guinness to its new home in London within our Covent Garden estate. Collaboration was at the heart of this significant investment into London, working with Diageo to deliver a world-class attraction that further cements Covent Garden and The Yards as a leading global visitor and placemaking destination. Supporting initiatives such as Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London is central to the Mercers’ Company role as an active asset manager and helps deliver our philanthropic work. Each year we award over £10 million to charitable organisations that relieve disadvantage, helping to improve people’s lives and create positive change. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Diageo to ensure the long-term success of Guinness within our estate.”

Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London will open its doors to the public on Thursday 11th December. To book and for more information visit https://opengatelondon.guinness.com/en/tours

To download B-roll, visit: https://f.io/N_zoVjj0

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About Guinness

The GUINNESS Company was established in 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Brewed using four natural ingredients, water, barley (malted & roasted), hops and yeast, Guinness is the world’s most popular stout. The iconic beer is brewed in 49 countries worldwide and sold in over 120. The most Guinness is sold in Great Britain, Ireland, USA, Nigeria and Cameroon. All Guinness consumed in Ireland and Great Britain is brewed at St. James’s Gate Brewery. More information can be found at www.guinness.com/en-gb.

Enjoy Guinness Sensibly. Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in nearly 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.

Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

About the Mercers’ Company

The Mercers’ Company is a 700-year-old livery company focused on being a philanthropic force for good with the aim of creating positive change so that everyone has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life.

As trustee of several charities the Company distributes over £10 million every year to relieve disadvantage in London, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and the Northeast of England, through its four main funding programmes – Young People & Education, Older People & Housing, Church & Community and Heritage & Arts. Funding aims to improve people’s lives, strengthen the organisations that support people and contribute to societal change.

The Company’s Philanthropy is supported through its property portfolio which extends over five acres in Covent Garden and two acres in the City of London. The Mercers’ Company wholly owns The Yards, a leading visitor destination in the heart of Covent Garden and home to the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery Experience in London.

The Mercers’ Company also provides high quality accommodation to over 200 residents in six almshouses, work closely with its associated schools which educate c.18,000 pupils; appoint 88 charity trustees and school governors; and support eight Church of England beneficiaries.

¹ ONS, Travel trends estimates: overseas residents in the UK, 26 August 2025.