400 Kegs Stolen in UK Guinness Heist

Some criminals in the UK might be toasting the new year with large quantities of ill-gotten Guinness. The Guardian, citing "sources familiar with the incident," reports that a truck carrying 400 kegs of Guinness, enough for 35,200 pints, was stolen from a logistics hub in Northamptonshire, England, in mid-December as pubs across the UK were experiencing shortages. Guinness owner Diageo declined to comment on the alleged theft of the Irish stout, which has been surging in popularity.

Earlier this month, Diageo tapped its backup reserves in Ireland and rationed how much Guinness pubs in England, Wales, and Scotland could buy. "It's just a bit of a shambles at the moment and killing me off," Steven Crosbie, landlord of an Irish pub in Liverpool, told the BBC. Guinness has stepped up its social media campaigns in recent years and the shortage has been fueled "by its newfound popularity with Gen Z, many of whom like to pose, pint in hand, on social media," according to the Guardian. (Earlier this year, a con man stole 50,000 pounds of cheese from a distributor in London.)