One of the weirdest things going on over this Christmas period was the fact that every time you went into a pub you were only allowed one or two pints of Guinness or none at all due to the fact that there was  a shortage and everywhere was rationing it – truly a sign of the times.

As you’re probably doing Dry January, you might not have noticed that this problem has continued into 2025 and wrecked the profit margins of your faourite drinking establishments even more than the aforementioned cultural phenomenon, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to Welsh craft beer brewer Tiny Rebel. No, they didn’t foresee the Guinesss shortage – who could? – but they did notice that the stout drinking market has grown 23% in the UK in recent times and decided to take advantage of this by creating their own version, the aptly named Coal Drop.

Coal Drop is a 4.1% ABV stout that combines pale malted barley with a blend of rich kilned and roasted malts to deliver a smooth and flavourful finish, making it massively drinkable. The black and coal-like finish to the smooth pour is accompanied by scents of coffee and chocolate which delivers a chocolatey taste with smooth malty finish.

Here’s what Tiny Rebel co-founder Brad Cummings had to say about it:

Put your ration cards away, there’s a new stout in town and this alternative is truly independent and British.

What we love most about the craft beer scene is that fans always want more – more choice, more big ideas, more innovation, and that’s exactly what gets us fired up – from the minute we started brewing in our garage to today, where we develop some of the most popular beers in the country.

There’s a stout revolution, and it’s safe to say Coal Drop will more than rise to the occasion. We’re dead proud of it, and we know stout fans nationwide will love it too.

Awesome. And the fact is that there probably isn’t a better time to launch Coal Drop as it’s going to be available nationwide from January and people are desperately going to be out there looking for a  Guinness alternative, especially if the shortage continues until February. You know what to do.

For more of the same, check out why you should never drink an upside down pint. Truly dangerous stuff.