Ireland's Guinness Stout -Best Known in the World

Guinness Stout is one of the best recognized and most popular beers or stout in the world. It is also know as dry stout, which is typically a beer, very dark or rich in color and it often has a "toast" or coffee-like taste. Arthur Guinness (1725-1803), is the founder of Guinness. He was an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist. Guinness beer is based on the porter style, which originated in London in the early 18th century, and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive feature is the burnt flavor which is derived from the use of roasted barley.

It was first brewed in the 1750’s, and since has become the ‘unofficial’ beer of Ireland. Arthur Guinness laid the foundations for Guinness Brewery.

In 1752, Arthur’s Godfather, Arthur Price, left him £100 in his will. Guinness invested the money in a small brewery in Leixlip, just 17 km from Dublin. In 1759, Guinness went to the city and set up his own business. He got a 9,000 year lease on the four-acre brewery at St. James's Gate from Mark Rainsford for an annual rent of £45. The parent company has been headquartered in London since 1932 and was later merged with Grand Metropolitan plc and developed into a multi-national alcohol conglomerate named Diageo.

Arthur Guinness married Olivia Whitmore in St. Mary’s Church, Dublin, in 1761. From 1764, they lived in the Beaumont House, which was built on a 51 acre farm. They had 21 children, in which 10 lived to adulthood. Three of his sons were also brewers, and his other descendants eventually included missionaries, politicians and authors. He was buried in his mother’s plot at Oughterard in County Kildare in January, 1803.

Guinness supported a politician that wanted to reduce tax on beer between the years 1780-1790. He was one of four brewer’s guild representatives on Dublin Corporation (city government and administration) from 1760 until his death. He was publicly in favor of Catholic Emancipation from 1793, and like most of the population, he was not a supporter of the anti-Catholic-Heirarchy United Irish during the 1798 rebellion. The Guinness family became Irish Unionists wanting Ireland to remain under English control.

Guinness stout is made from water, barley, hops, brewers yeast and is treated with isinglass finings made for fish bladders, although Guinness states the finings material is unlikely to remain in the finished product. A portion of the barley is roasted to give Guinness its dark color and characteristic taste. It is pasteurized and filtered. Despite its reputation as a "meal in a glass", Guinness only contains 198 kcal (838 kilojoules) per imperial pint (1460 KJ) fewer than skimmed milk or orange juice and most other non-light beers. Draught Guinness and the canned Guinness contain nitrogen, as well as, carbon dioxide which allows the beer to be put under high pressure without being fizzy. The high pressure causes very small bubbles, which gives it a perceived “surge” or smoothness due to its low level of carbon dioxide and the creaminess of the head is caused by the very fine bubbles that arise from the use of nitrogen. Although Guinness may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby with a 7% alcohol content. Guinness is typically served in a slightly tulip shaped pint glass as opposed to the taller European glasses.

What Diageo calls the "perfect pint" of Draught Guinness is the product of a lengthy "double pour", which according to the company should take 119.53 seconds and be at 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 F).

Studies have actually shown it is beneficial for your heart due to antioxidant compounds found in the beer which actually slow down harmful cholesterol deposits on the artery walls.

Guinness has a wonderful tour of its facilities. It has made more money in Ireland than any other alcoholic beverage. It is recognizable by the logo of the harp on the bottle. It is now brewed in over 50 breweries across the globe while Guinness & Co. makes almost €2 billion annually, although sales have dropped 3% this past year. Ireland's Guinness stout is the best recognized stouts in the world.

The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.