You've probably enjoyed a Guinness or two in your life, the foamy stout from Ireland,
but how much do you really know about this delicious beer?
Keep watching to learn the untold truth of Guinness.
The story of Ireland's most iconic beer dates back to 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a
9,000-year lease on a dilapidated brewery in Dublin.
At the time, the four-acre property fetched an annual rent of £45.
The St. James's Gate Brewery was so successful that by 1769 Arthur had begun to export his
ale to England.
He began brewing porter in the 1770s, which was such a hit with beer lovers that in 1799
he decided to stop brewing ale and focus entirely on the creamy stout.
One of Arthur's most popular offerings was an export beer called West Indies Porter,
a predecessor of today's Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
In 1838 the St. James's Gate Brewery, run by Arthur's son, Arthur Guinness II, at the
time, became the largest brewery in Ireland.
By 1886, it was the largest brewery in the world.
Today St. James's Gate Brewery holds the title of the world's biggest brewer of stout.
The Guinness Storehouse, which was built as a fermentation plant for St. James's Gate
Brewery in 1902, has been referred to as the first skyscraper in the British Isles.
The steel-framed, multistory structure served as the company's fermentation plant until
1988 when it was abandoned in favor of more modern facilities.
Having stood idle for over a decade, the Guinness Storehouse got a new lease on life in the
1990s with the birth of Project Jupiter.
Opening as a tourist attraction in 2000, the refurbished building has kept its authentic
design and features a number of interesting additions.
One of these is an atrium in the shape of a giant pint glass.
The other, the Gravity Bar, a glass disc-like structure that offers 360-degree vistas of
Dublin.
In 2006, Guinness added an extra wing to the storehouse, where visitors can learn about
the brand's brewing process.
If you've noticed a plastic ball rolling around in your empty can of Guinness, you're not
the only one.
It's a small nitrogen-filled capsule, and it has a very important purpose.
While most breweries use carbon dioxide to give beer their fizz, nitrogen creates smaller
bubbles, replicating the draught experience.
When a Guinness can is opened, the small piece of plastic releases nitrogen gas into the
beer, which rises and gives the stout its distinctive thick, silky head of foam.
"Whenever you open it and you hear that 'pshhhhh.'
That is this widget."
Invented by Guinness in 1969, the widget wasn't incorporated into the brewing process until
1989.
The first-generation cartridge had its problems, however.
While it worked perfectly with cold beer, it made the brew foam over if served warm.
Guinness released its new and improved second-generation widget, called the Smoothifier, in 1997.
This little spherical device is the version of the widget we see in our Guinness cans today.
Some of the most famous Guinness marketing campaigns over the years have included slogans
such as "Guinness for Strength" and "Guinness is good for you."
In fact, the first-ever Guinness advertising waxed lyrical about the brew's numerous health
benefits:
"Guinness builds strong muscles.
It feeds exhausted nerves.
It enriches the blood.
Doctors affirm that Guinness is a valuable restorative after influenza and other weakening
illnesses.
Guinness is a valuable natural aid in cases of insomnia."
So how true are these statements?
Guinness is a stout, which means that it's made from grain, including roasted barley.
And while, just like other beer, it contains antioxidants, vitamin B, soluble fiber, mineral
silicon, and prebiotics, it also comes with a slight edge.
Guinness is also surprisingly low in calories.
12 ounces of Guinness Draught contains 125 calories, while the same serving of Budweiser
has 145 calories.
While the popularity of Guinness varies among African nations, the brew makes up approximately
45% of the beer sold by parent company Diageo on the continent.
The majority of the Guinness sold in Africa is Foreign Extra Stout, the same brew the
company started exporting back in the 18th century.
Compared to regular Guinness that is drunk in the U.S., Foreign Extra Stout is heavier
and higher in alcohol content.
It's a little-known fact that Nigerians drink more Guinness than the Irish.
In fact, the populous African nation clocks in as the second in the world, just behind
the United Kingdom.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that Guinness has exported its brews to Nigeria since 1827.
To satisfy the demand, there are four Guinness breweries in Nigeria.
The other two African Guinness breweries are in Cameroon and Ghana.
According to Guinness expert Padraig Fox, serving the perfect pint of the stout is close
to an art form.
He specifically refers to the six-step, 119.5-second process of pouring Guinness, developed by
the brewery.
Start by holding a clean, cool, and dry pint glass at a 45-degree angle to the tap and
fill it up to three-quarters by tapping the handle forward.
The beer should then be left to settle before being topped up by pushing the handle backward.
While there's been a lot of talk in the media about Guinness' two-part pour, some beer connoisseurs
have claimed that the entire procedure is nothing but a clever marketing ploy.
"Okay, six steps.
I have a feeling it's going to turn into 11 steps very soon."
Dan Griffin from The Irish Times explains that the "annoying" waiting time for the pint
to settle is supposed to make the Guinness feel like a drink worth waiting for and the
Guinness drinker like somebody special for enduring this waiting time.
The jury is still out on whether there's a good reason behind the brewery's "Good Things
Come to Those Who Wait" marketing campaign.
The idea for the Guinness Book of World Records was born during an argument between the Guinness
Brewery Managing Director Sir Hugh Beaver and his shooting partners about Europe's fastest
game bird.
Unable to find an answer to settle their disagreement, Sir Hugh enlisted the help of researchers
to compile a book of facts that would help settle pub arguments.
The 198-page first edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, which was published
in 1955 in the U.K., took 13 and a half weeks to complete.
Fast-forward 67 years later, and the Guinness Book of World Records is a global hit.
With offices in New York, London, Tokyo, and Dubai, the organization receives more than
1,000 applications each week.
The appeal of breaking records has proven irresistible, with the book approving over
6,000 records in 2021 alone.
In addition, more than 150 million Guinness Books of World Records have been sold to date
in over 40 languages, making it one of the most popular publications of all time.
According to research commissioned by Guinness, bearded or mustachioed Guinness fans should
consider having a shave before embarking on their next stout adventure.
The 2000 study found that the equivalent of around 160,000 pints of Guinness is lost in
facial hair in the U.K. alone each year.
As a part of the research, Dr. Robin Dover, a specialist in hair science and dermatological
conditions, spent two days analyzing the facial hair of eight Guinness tipplers to determine
just how much of the good stuff is wasted.
According to the study, 0.56 milliliters of Guinness is trapped in facial hair with each
sip.
In addition, it's been estimated that there are around 92,370 Guinness consumers in the
U.K., with each one drinking around 180 pints of the stout a year.
And since each pint takes around 10 sips to finish, the study proclaimed that 162,719
pints of Guinness get stuck in beards and mustaches in the U.K. on an annual basis.
Masterminded by Guinness' parent company, Diageo, the first Guinness holiday, Arthur's
Day, took place in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Arthur Guinness' signing of
the lease on the St. James's Gate Brewery.
The so-called holiday started innocently enough, with Diageo asking Guinness enthusiasts to
raise a pint for the brew's founder Arthur Guinness, at 5.59 PM on that day.
Within the next few years, Arthur's Day turned into a much bigger celebration with gigs and
Guinness promotions run across the Emerald Isle.
Arthur's Day drew its fair share of criticism, especially as the event gained momentum through
its short few years.
Referring to the day as "boozy and debauched," Aoife Valentine from The Guardian noted that
there was a 30% increase in ambulance pick-ups across Dublin on the night of the 2012 event.
Guinness canceled the event in 2013, denying that the decision was due to the criticism
that the company promoted irresponsible behavior.
Sampling a pint of creamy Guinness during a visit to Ireland is almost a rite of passage.
And many swear that the brew they've had in the Emerald Isle is far superior to the Guinness
pints they drink at the local bar back home.
Recently, researchers have shown that there may very well be some truth in these taste
testimonies.
Scientists from the Institute of Food Technologists conducted Guinness taste tests in 33 cities
across 14 countries including Ireland.
And the majority of the tasters were adamant that they enjoyed pints of Guinness more in
Ireland than in other countries.
In fact, the average pint of Guinness consumed in Ireland received a mark of 74 out of 100,
as opposed to the average pint score of 57 in other countries.
So how accurate are these results?
Take them with a grain of salt.
As the celebrated beer author Pete Brown highlights, believing that Guinness tastes different in
Ireland may or may not be just in our minds.
He said:
"Drinking Guinness in Ireland is always going to be more enjoyable than in London or Paris,
or anywhere else.
In Irish pubs, you can order a Guinness knowing that the tap has been flowing all day ... The
locals also tend to know their own beer inside out, so you'll get it at the right temperature,
in the right glass, and with the right head."
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