This Irish pub in Quebec ran out of Guinness for the first time in 27 years

Yves Ledoux has been the bearer of bad news for the past week at his pub in Quebec City's Montcalm neighbourhood.

For the first time in 27 years, the owner of Pub Galway ran out of Guinness.

"An Irish pub without Guinness?" said Ledoux. "Usually when we're stressed, we have a Guinness. But this week, that was not possible."

On Wednesday, the creamy and bitter stout finally made its return, albeit in a small quantity — unlikely to meet demand for long if backorders continue. 

Receiving three kegs — each capable of producing 85 pints — Ledoux is among the local businesses hoping the unprecedented Guinness shortage is behind him, especially with only days until St. Patrick's Day.

Just a few hours after the delivery, a handful of customers gathered in the pub to get those first few sips.

Guinness has been a popular choice for bar-goers for centuries.

Now, more young people and women are ordering the drink, partly because of social media — and trendy drinking games making rounds online, including TikTok.

"It worked so well, they ran out of Guinness," said Ledoux.

As one of the top three sellers of Guinness in the city, he says he's seen about a 25 per cent increase in his sales compared to last year. And the three kegs won't last long. 

He says a good Guinness requires volume and specific preparations, since it's a beer that doesn't age well when the keg is opened.

Taking 119 seconds to pour, he says it must be pushed with nitrogen to give each glass that signature foam.

A spokesperson with Diageo, the company that owns Guinness, said in an emailed statement that there have been minor delays in Quebec due to "temporary third-party logistics challenges related to carriers."

"Shipments have gradually started arriving this week, and kegs are on their way to pubs across the region," read the statement.