Guinness Alternatives: 8 Best Beers Like Guinness

There are several beers like Guinness for those of you who love a creamy, velvety head and a smooth, roasted finish.

Now, don’t get me wrong—Guinness is the king of Irish beers and a tough act to follow, but there are some great Irish stouts along with some strong contenders from the USA and Europe that are worthy of your attention.

I, like many, have a handful of Guinness Alternatives that I turn to when the thirst presents itself. You’ll find my favourites below.

My favourite beers like Guinness

Now, it’s worth saying that, while many of the below drinks are similar to Guinness, only the top spot is, in my opinion, close to the taste.

Also, keep in mind that some of these drinks won’t be available in every country in the world.

1. Murphy’s

Murphy’s is a 4% Irish Dry Stout beer brewed in the Murphy’s Brewery in Cork. The brewery was founded in 1856 by James Jeremiah Murphy, although it was known as Lady’s Well Brewery.

In 1983, it was acquired by Heineken International, and its name changed to Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. 

Although it’s the most notable of the many beers like Guinness, Murphy’s is brewed to have a lighter and less bitter taste.

It’s been described as “a distant relative of chocolate milk” with toffee and coffee undertones. Murphy’s has a creamy, silky smooth finish as it’s free from carbonation. 

2. Beamish 

Another alternative to Guinness in its appearance is Beamish – a 4.1% Irish Stout that dates back to 1792.

It was originally brewed in the Beamish and Crawford brewery in Cork, owned by William Beamish and William Crawford, operating on the site of a porter brewery. 

The brewery operated until 2009 when it closed. Today, Beamish Stout is brewed in a nearby facility operated by Heineken. 

Beamish has a dry finish and a smooth and creamy taste. It has a slight bitterness, with roasted malt, subtle dark chocolate, and coffee flavours. Some say it’s a tad more bitter than Guinness. 

3. Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale looks very different to the other beers similar to Guinness in this guide, but bear with me.

This is a 4.3% Irish Red Ale. Today, it’s managed by Diageo and brewed in St. James’s Gate Brewery alongside Guinness. 

However, the beer originated in Kilkenny and was brewed in St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny until the brewery’s closure in 2013. Up until then, St. Francis Abbey had been Ireland’s oldest operating brewery. 

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale has a slightly more subtle flavour than Irish Stout beers like Guinness, with notes of caramel and floral hops. It has a thick head of foam, although, unlike Guinness, it has a copper-red body. 

4. O’Hara’s Irish Stout

O’Hara’s Irish Stout is a 4.3% Irish Dry Stout brewed by the Carlow Brewing Company in Carlow. First brewed in 1999, O’Hara’s Irish Stout is the company’s flagship beer.

This award-winning stout is brewed with a blend of five malt and wheat varieties, creating a deep, full-bodied character with a smooth finish.

On the nose, rich coffee aromas mingle with subtle hints of liquorice, while a bold infusion of Fuggles hops adds a tart bitterness. The finish is reminiscent of roasted espresso, leaving a satisfyingly robust impression.

5. Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

Brewed at the historic Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster in the UK, this Oatmeal Stout is a rich, silky ale with deep complexity and a bittersweet finish.

Brewed with water from an 85-foot well first tapped in 1758, this stout ferments in stone Yorkshire squares, a traditional method that gives it a smooth, full-bodied character with a medium-dry finish.

At 5% ABV, it’s made with malted barley, roasted malt, hops, and oatmeal, creating a velvety mouthfeel with just a hint of sweetness, balanced by deep roasted bitterness.

It’s also the only vegan-friendly alternative to Guinness in this guide, making it a solid pick for those after a classic stout with a bit of history in every sip.

6. Milk Stout Nitro

Veering away from tradition, Milk Stout Nitro is a 6% American Stout, brewed by the Left Hand Brewing Co. in Colorado. The company has been brewing beer since 1993, and they have a range of beers available. 

On the nose, Milk Stout Nitro has vanilla cream, milk chocolate, and brown sugar notes, with a subtle roasted coffee aroma. It has a slightly hoppy and bitter finish, with a chocolate sweetness and subtle dark fruit notes. 

Since it’s a nitro beer like Guinness, you’ll experience a soft pillowy foam, created by tiny nitrogen bubbles.

This is a popular beer similar to Guinness that is widely found across the States and, by all accounts, is well worth sampling!

7. Modern Times Black House Coffee Stout

Modern Times Black House Coffee Stout is a 5.8% Oatmeal Coffee Stout brewed by Modern Times Beer in California. 

Oatmeal Coffee Stout is dark brown to black in colour, and the use of oatmeal gives the beer a smooth, rich body. The addition of coffee gives it a distinct coffee flavour and aroma. 

Modern Times Black House Coffee Stout has a coffee aroma and taste, with an almost coffee-covered espresso bean flavour. It is made using a blend of 75% Ethiopian and 25% Sumatran coffee varieties that are roasted on-site.

8. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a 5.2% Sweet/Milk Stout owned by Young’s & Co.’s Brewery Plc and brewed in Bedford.

Young’s was founded in 1831 when the owner’s purchased the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth which was later closed in 2006. 

Brewed using chocolate malt and real dark chocolate, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout has a rich dark chocolate taste coupled with the signature bitterness of stout.

It has a creamy texture, a smooth taste, and a thick pillowy foam on top. 

FAQs about beers similar to Guinness

I’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Which is the easiest to drink?’ to ‘What type of beer is Guinness?’.

In the section below, I’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that I haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.