A shortage of Guinness in the UK has led to pubs issuing customers with Ration Cards and a rise in Murphy's sales. 

With Guinness in increasingly short supply in the UK, some pubs are turning to Murphy's as a replacement, the Business Post has reported.

As an alternative to replacing the stout entirely, some bars are giving customers Ration Cards which stipulate that two other drinks have to be bought before a pint of Guinness can be purchased and the card has to be stamped in advance.

However, some pubs that have introduced rationing still ran out of Guinness last week.

With Christmas just around the corner, pubs in London say they will be out of Guinness this week due to surging demand.

A hand holds a pint of Guinness in the air. Image: Brendan Donnelly / Alamy

Earlier this month The Times reported that the UK’s Guinness stocks were being depleted after a year of demand hikes.

Guinness consumption has climbed by more than 20% over the past year, with its sudden popularity taking even its owner (Diageo) by surprise.

Social media influencers or ‘Guinnfluencers’ are getting the bulk of the blame for the shortage, as well as celebrities pictured with pints of Guinness on Ireland or UK visits.

A pint of Murphy's Irish Stout rests on a table in a pub at Union Hall, West County Cork, Republic of Ireland. Image: Alamy

Heineken-owned Murphy's is raring its creamy head across the pond, with some UK publicans seeing the Cork stout as a viable alternative for Diageo's crowned jewel.

Figures of sales increases haven't been provided by Heineken yet, but it would be reasonable to believe the rise in sales is still relatively low.

Some consumers have described Murphy's as a more 'sessionable' drink than Guinness, with some publicans accusing Guinness' parent company of losing touch with it's consumer base.

Pint of Guinness in a traditional Irish pub. Image: Stephen Barnes/Food and Drink / Alamy