Guinness Beer Facts

Guinness beer is an Irish dry stout, brewed for over 200 years and enjoyed worldwide. The distinctive burnt flavor and heavy consistency are enjoyed from America to Africa and everywhere in between. Over the years, Guinness has grown from a small-town brewing operation to a publicly traded company that annually brings in two billion dollars from Ireland alone. It is brewed in more than 150 countries around the world, and about ten million pints are sold every day.

History

The history of Guinness Beer begins with a man named Arthur Guinness, who was left 100 pounds by his godfather, the Archbishop Price, in 1752. He used this money to found a brewery near Dublin. The lease that he signed on his property was for 9,000 years at only 45 pounds per year. In 1769, Guinness exported beer to England for the first time. The company began to expand rapidly, even after Arthur's death in 1803. Since then, the Guinness company has continued to grow and expand, and they celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2009.

Composition

Isinglass finings from the air bladders of fish aren't exactly the first ingredients that come to mind when you think of beer, but they are what is used to treat Guinness. Other ingredients include barley, water, malt, hops and yeast. Some of the barley is roasted to give the beer its dark brown color. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide can also be found in the makeup of Guinness, and these help to create the thick foam that occurs when the beer is poured correctly.

Pouring a Pint

Pouring the perfect glass of Guinness draught is akin to a religious experience for some purists. The technique is known as the "double pour." A twenty-ounce tulip pint glass is preferred, and it should be held at a precise 45-degree angle under the tap. The glass is then filled three-quarters full, and left to settle. If you've done it correctly, a thick head of foam should be forming. Once it's fully settled, top off the glass, and if you've done it right, you'll have a picture-perfect glass of Guinness.

Advertising/Merchandising

The main logo of the Guinness company features the harp of Brian Boru--a traditional Irish symbol since the 1300s. The company has created innovative ad content for years, though it no longer stands by its advertisements from the 1930s, which touted the benefits of a daily beer. Recent ad campaigns have won prestigious awards, including the 2001 Clio award for Advertiser of the Year.

Health Benefits

While the advertising campaigns of the 1930s and 1940s touted health benefits that Guinness no longer stands by, surprising evidence has surfaced in recent years that may give some validity to the claims. A study at the University of Wisconsin revealed that a daily pint of Guinness may be as effective as a daily aspirin in the prevention of heart-attack-inducing blood clots. However, the main reason for this may be the alcohol content as opposed to the beer itself.