The new buzz is no buzz with Guinness’ non-alcoholic stout, Guinness 0.0, making its St. Patrick’s Day debut this year.
Guinness launched the beverage in bars and pubs in July 2021 and in stores August 2021 after four years of crafting.
The Irish brewer created the drink using a cold filtration process to remove the alcohol from the brew while preserving its flavor.
Compared to the original drink, Guinness 0.0 has the same malty scent, characteristically dark color and rich bittersweet flavor with fewer calories, too.
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As celebrations start to flood throughout Chicago this weekend, Guinness will have this drink added to its ticket.
The brewery also announced Chicago will be home to its second taproom and brewing facility in the U.S. in September 2021.
Set to open in 2023 in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, the 15,000-square-foot Guinness Chicago Taproom will be constructed at 375 N. Morgan St. The location will include a brewery, taproom, outdoor patio space and restaurant.
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"We are building this taproom for the people of Chicago and, as with everything that Guinness does, it’s not just about the beer," Jay Sethi, chief marketing officer at Diageo Beer Company, said in a statement in September 2021. "We aim to celebrate Chicago and make a positive impact on the local community from the day our doors open.”
On top of offering exclusive drinks, the location will provide tours of the Guinness brewery, including a 10 BBL brewing system for small-batch and one-off brews made for the taproom.
Artwork from local artists will be displayed throughout the brewery. The location will "offer rotating beers, cuisine, and events, all bringing to life the spirit of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods and unique cultural elements." It also will create 75 jobs, the company said.
“No one does St. Patrick’s Day like Chicago, so naturally, Guinness already has a special place in our city’s history,” said Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. in a statement in September 2021. "Now, we get to make it a little more official with the Guinness Chicago Taproom, which will help further enliven our already vibrant West Loop neighborhood and bring new jobs to the area."
The first Guinness brewing facility and taproom in the U.S., the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, opened in 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland, and has since hosted more than 900,000 visitors and produced 250 experimental brews, the company said.
