St. Patrick’s Day and Guiness

While certainly fascinating, the average St. Paddy’s Day (17th of March) celebration probably has a lot more to do with a pint at the pub than with the good saint himself. Guiness Stout is undoubtedly Ireland’s most famous export, and behind the brew lies a nearly three hundred year-old history. 

Arthur Guiness took out a fortunate 9000 years lease on a small brewery in Dublin in 1759. 

The sun a brewer, 31 year-old Arthur made up for his lack of financial prosperity with a strong knowledge of the trade and soon enough he was in business. 

The newly established Guiness brewery was not initially the success it was today, however, as Arthur struggled with the local brewing corporations to maintain a fresh water supply for his brewery. 

The 1770’s brought good fortune to Arthur Guiness, as he was able to win an unprecedented deal for access to fresh water for over 8000 years.

Guiness began to take notice of a darker style of ale known as London Porter. 

Taking an interest in the new drink, Guiness was soon brewing his own distinctive, heavy style of Porter which he called Dublin Stout. 

Soon he decided to drop brewing of other ales and focus entirely on the development of his new Guiness stout.

The distinctly Irish drink is one of many ales hailing from the emerald isle that will take a spotlight position this St. Paddy’s Day. None, however, bear the symbolic importance of the Guiness brand and few can match the dark brown brew for its historical value. When sitting down to order that St. Paddy’s Day pint, remember to give a special cheers for Arthur Guiness’s creation.