Guinness is the Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James Gate, Dublin.
On 31st December, 1759, he signed (up to) a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum for the unused brewery. Ten years later on the 19th May 1769, Guinness exported his ale for the first time, when six and a half barrels were shipped to England.
Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive feature is the burnt flavour which is derived from the use of roasted un-malted barley (though this is a relatively modern development since it did not become a part of the grist until well into the 20th century). For many years a portion of aged brew was blended with freshly brewed product to give a sharp lactic flavour (which was a characteristic of the original Porter). Although the palate of Guinness still features a characteristic 'tang', the company refuses to confirm whether this type of blending still occurs. The thick creamy head is the result of the beer being mixed with nitrogen when being poured.
It is popular with Irish people both in Ireland and abroad, and, in spite of a decline in consumption since 2001, is still the best-selling alcoholic drink in the country, where Guinness & Co. makes almost €2 billion annually.
The company had its headquarters in London from 1932 onwards. It merged with Grand Metropolitan plc in 1997 and then figured in the development of the multi-national alcohol conglomerate named Diageo.
The Guinness brewery in Park Royal closed in 2005. The production of all Guinness sold in the UK and Ireland was switched to the St. James' Gate Brewery.
Guinness is sometimes believed to have originated the stout style of beer. However the first use of the word 'stout' in relation to beer was in a letter in the Egerton Manuscript dated 1677, almost 50 years before Arthur Guinness was born.
Guinness stout is made from water, barley, hops and brewer's yeast. A portion of the barley is roasted to give Guinness its dark colour and characteristic taste.
Despite its reputation as a meal in a glass, Guinness only contains 198 kcal per imperial pint, fewer than skimmed milk or orange juice and, most other non-light beers.
Until the late 1950s Guinness was still racked into wooden casks. It was in the late 1950s and early 1960s that aluminium kegs were replacing the wooden casks, these were nicknamed 'iron lungs'.
Although Guinness may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby.
Studies claim that Guinness can be beneficial to the heart. Researchers found that antioxidant compounds in Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for health benefits, because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.
The 'perfect pint' of draught Guinness is the product of a lengthy 'double pour', which according to the company, should take 119.53 seconds. Guinness has promoted this wait with advertising campaigns such as good things come to those who wait.
Draught Guinness should be served at 6°C (42.8°F).
Ideally a pint of Guinness should be served in a slightly tulip shaped pint glass as opposed to the taller European tulip glass or 'Nonic' glass which contains a ridge approx 3/4 of the way up the glass.
On the way to the tap, the beer is passed through a chiller and is forced through a five-hole disc restrictor plate in the end of the tap, which increases the fluid pressure and friction, forcing the creation of small bubbles which form a creamy head. The glass is then rested until the initial pour settles, and the remainder of the glass is then filled with a slow pour until the head forms a slight dome over the top of the glass. Some bartenders also draw a simple design, using the flow of Guinness from the head of the tap, such as a shamrock in the head during the slow pour.
A long time subject of bar conversations is the Guinness cascade, where the gas bubbles appear to travel downwards in a pint glass of Guinness. The effect is attributed to drag; bubbles that touch the walls of a glass are slowed in their travel upwards. Bubbles in the centre of the glass are, however, free to rise to the surface, and thus form a rising column of bubbles. The rising bubbles create a current by the entrainment of the surrounding fluid. As beer rises in the centre, the beer near the outside of the glass falls. This downward flow pushes the bubbles near the glass towards the bottom. Although the effect occurs in any liquid, it is particularly noticeable in any dark nitrogen stout, as the drink combines dark-coloured liquid and light-coloured bubbles.
Canned Draught Guinness should be poured into a large glass in one smooth action, whilst bottled Guinness should be drunk straight from the bottle.
Guinness is frequently used as an ingredient in recipes, often to add a seemingly authentic Irish element to the menus of faux-Irish pubs in the United States, where it is stirred into everything from French toast to beef stew.
