Low-alcohol Guinness for 'new Ireland'

The new, faster-paced lifestyle of the Irish has led Guinness to experiment with a new reduced-strength pint of its famous stout.

The company promises that the new tipple, called Guinness Mid-Strength, is identical in every way to traditional Guinness, except that its alcohol content is significantly lower - 2.8 per cent rather than the regular 4.2 per cent.

The brewery says it is a new Guinness for a new age in which Irish men want to drink but also want to keep their wits about them for more hectic and exacting lifestyles.

A Guinness executive said: "There are times when you want a couple of pints but you don't want the fuller hit of a higher alcohol product.

"We believe this will be appealing to 25- to 45-year- old males - guys with family and work commitments."

Mid-Strength will go on sale in pubs in Limerick next month, a city which is said to have a particular fondness for Guinness.

The new approach is in line with the policy of the Irish government, which has for years expressed concern about excessive drinking and "binge" drinking, especially among the young.