Guinness Helps Fund Safe Rides Home From Los Angeles Bars In Celebration Of St. Patrick's Day

LOS ANGELES, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 200^th St. Patrick's Day that Guinness will celebrate in the U.S. just a few weeks away, the Irish brewer announced today that it's making an effort to help adults in Los Angeles celebrate the holiday safely. Beginning today, beer lovers at more than 6,000 bars and restaurants in Los Angeles can use the Freebird Rides app to receive a $5 credit towards an Uber ride home.

"We've been looking forward to celebrating our 200^th St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. for a while now," said Emma Giles, Guinness Brand Director. "With Freebird's technology and its ability to sync so seamlessly with your smartphone and Uber account, beer lovers out celebrating in Los Angeles will find it just a little bit easier to get home safely. Planning ahead is always the best way, and this partnership makes our milestone holiday even more special for us."

Although Guinness has been brewing at St. James's Gate in Ireland for 259 years and makes several beers that are perfect for St. Patrick's Day, a purchase of a Guinness beer is not required to take advantage of the $5 towards an Uber ride home.

"Freebird Rides makes going out more rewarding by offering cash back and reward points to consumers whenever they book an Uber to any destination.  With St. Patrick's Day approaching, we are excited to offer this first ever cash credit to Uber home thanks to Guinness," said Kurt Brendlinger, Founder and CEO of Freebird Rides. "With bars and restaurants supporting rides out and Guinness supporting rides home, Freebird riders win." 

In the true spirit of the holiday and coming together over a pint with friends, Guinness is also providing a chance to give back. From now through March 31, 2018, when adult beer lovers share photos of their foamy Guinness 'Staches – or self-grown and groomed or drawn-on – on social media (tagging @GuinnessUS and using #StacheForCharity), Guinness will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the Guinness Gives Back Fund*, which supports nonprofits that contribute to the common good in our communities, including Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization.

While a safe ride home is a great start, please remember to drink responsibly while celebrating St. Patrick's Day. More information on the Freebird Rides app, including how it works and where to download it, can be found here. 

*The Guinness Gives Back Fund is a corporate donor advised fund administered by Fairfield County's Community Foundation. The Fund's mission is to support local charitable organizations which are classified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that are aligned with the corporate focus areas of Diageo North America, Inc.

About Diageo Beer Company, USA
Diageo Beer Company, USA (formerly Diageo-Guinness USA) is the U.S. beer and flavored malt beverage business of Diageo. Brands within Diageo Beer Company include the iconic Guinness, Harp, Smithwick's and Smirnoff ICE. Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries worldwide. For more information about Diageo Beer Company, visit www.diageo.com.

About Freebird Rides
Freebird Rides operates a national platform that provides consumers rewards and cash back whenever booking an Uber ride.  Businesses (in particular bars and restaurants) use Freebird Rides to acquire customers by reimbursing an Uber ride up to a cap the business sets only for customers who dine and drink at the establishment.  The consumer feels like a VIP, becomes a more loyal customer and can have worry free fun with no drinking and driving.  Freebird Rides is currently available in Los Angeles & Orange County, California and Boston, MA with additional national markets being added in the months ahead.

SOURCE Guinness