Anyone for Guinness and Pepsi?

The Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is naturally pleased to have hooked yet another American giant as a part of its R&D portfolio. That's why the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, got to announce the arrival of PepsiCo Inc.

 

The press release tells us that the company "is to carry-out next generation product R&D at PepsiCo Ireland in Cork". The minister described the move as "a huge vote of confidence in Ireland as a location for world-class research".

 

It seems that the Irish labs will, er, uncork PepsiCo's work on functional beverages, "drinks that offer health benefits". This reminds those of us of a certain age that another Irish purveyor of drinks once was able to sell its products on their well known health effects. But life has moved on an Guinness now has to use a very different sales pitch.

 

Our fear is that, despite the distance between Cork and Dublin somehow the two will get together to cook up some foul liquid. Some years ago, when we visited Guinness's truly high-tech brewery in the middle of the city – with a very fine restaurant and bar attached when we visited – you could already sense an American influence. This was, we were told, why the brewery's bar served Guinness so cold that only a Penguin could taste it. Fortunately, they also had a "warm" version for those with European taste-buds.