Guinness Blonde 6Pk

Guinness Blonde 6Pk is a 5.0% ABV American-style lager sold in six-packs, brewed with signature Guinness yeast and American hops. Launched in 2014 as the inaugural release in the Guinness Discovery Series, this collaboration between Dublin and Pennsylvania brewers fused Old World brewing heritage with New World hop character. Note: Guinness Blonde has been discontinued by the brewery.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.0%  |  Origin: Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA  |  Style: American Pale Lager  |  Brewery: Latrobe Brewery (Guinness collaboration)

Production & Heritage

Guinness Blonde emerged from a transatlantic partnership between Guinness Master Brewers in Dublin and their American counterparts at the historic Latrobe Brewery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania — a facility best known as the original home of Rolling Rock. The beer combined Guinness's proprietary yeast strain, cultivated over generations at St. James's Gate, with Mosaic and Willamette American hop varieties. The result was a golden amber lager that carried Guinness DNA in an entirely different direction from the brand's iconic stout, drawing on the American pale lager tradition of the 1930s while layering in more hop complexity and malt depth than typical mainstream lagers.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Light floral notes arrive first, followed by citrus peel and a subtle grassy hop character. A faint bready sweetness sits beneath, hinting at the malt backbone.

Taste: The entry is clean and crisp with bright citrus flavors — lemon and grapefruit from the Mosaic hops. Mid-palate, a biscuity malt sweetness emerges, balancing the hop bitterness with a toasted grain quality. The body stays light and lively without turning thin.

Finish: Medium in length with a lingering malt and biscuit character that distinguishes it from lighter American lagers. A gentle hop bitterness persists, leaving the palate refreshed rather than coated.

How to Drink Guinness Blonde

Serve cold, ideally between 38–45°F, poured into a pilsner glass or standard pint to appreciate the golden amber color and dense white head. Its crisp, citrus-forward character also works well in beer-based mixed drinks. A Shandy pairs it with fresh lemonade, amplifying the existing citrus notes. A Michelada uses the lager's clean base as a canvas for lime, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. A Lagerita — a twist on the margarita using lager as a float — benefits from the biscuity malt sweetness playing against tequila and lime.

Best For

• Introducing stout-loyal Guinness fans to the brand's lager side
• Backyard cookouts and warm-weather casual drinking
• Pairing with grilled foods where a lighter beer style suits the meal
• Collectors seeking discontinued or hard-to-find Guinness releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Guinness Blonde taste like? Guinness Blonde delivers light citrus and floral hop flavors up front, transitioning into a distinctive biscuity malt sweetness with a crisp, refreshing finish.

How does Guinness Blonde compare to Budweiser? Both are American-style lagers, but Guinness Blonde uses Mosaic and Willamette hops for noticeably more citrus and floral complexity, along with a richer biscuit malt character that Budweiser's lighter rice-adjunct profile does not provide.

Is Guinness Blonde good for easy drinking? At 5.0% ABV with a light body and clean finish, Guinness Blonde was designed as an approachable, session-friendly lager suited to drinkers who want more flavor than a standard macro lager without heavy bitterness.

Where is Guinness Blonde made? Guinness Blonde was brewed at the Latrobe Brewery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Guinness Master Brewers based at St. James's Gate in Dublin, Ireland.

What foods pair well with Guinness Blonde? Grilled chicken or fish tacos complement the citrus hop notes. Soft pretzels and beer cheese echo the biscuity malt. A classic cheeseburger matches the lager's clean, balanced profile. Light salads with citrus vinaigrette mirror the floral aromatics. Mild white cheeses like Monterey Jack work without overpowering the beer's subtlety.

What sizes does Guinness Blonde come in? Guinness Blonde was primarily available in six-packs of bottles; larger multi-packs were also offered in some markets during its production run.

Is Guinness Blonde worth the price? Guinness Blonde positioned itself as a step above standard domestic lagers, carrying a modest premium justified by its use of Guinness yeast and American craft hops — though as a discontinued product, remaining stock may carry higher secondary-market pricing.

Why Guinness Blonde?

Guinness Blonde represented something genuinely unusual: the Guinness yeast strain — one of the most storied in brewing — deployed in an American pale lager for the first time. That single production decision gave the beer a malt complexity and fermentation character that mass-market American lagers simply cannot replicate. As the first entry in the now-concluded Guinness Discovery Series, it marked a deliberate creative pivot for a brand synonymous with dark beer. With production discontinued, any remaining stock carries added interest for Guinness enthusiasts and beer collectors looking to experience this particular chapter in the brewery's history.