The Guinness Tradition

It was back in 1759 that a certain Sir Arthur Guinness bought an abandoned brewery in Dublin and established the company Guinness. Although traditional ale was brewed there at first, it wasn't long before a new dark porter beer was tried and, after its raving success, the now famous stout. Brewed with strongly roasted barley malt, these darker beers were stronger than the tradition brews and Guinness stout eventually became so popular with the customers that the company soon stopped brewing the lighter brews of beer altogether. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, the Guinness Brewery had become the largest brewer of stout in the world.

The stout we enjoy today is essentially the same beer brewed back then, that mild tasting, nearly black beer with its amazingly thick and long-lasting head of foam. The origin of the word stout goes back to the term stout porter or "strong" porter, by the way. With time, stout porter simply became stout. Today millions of glasses of Guinness are consumed every day, with nearly three million hectoliters of beer is being brewed at the company headquarters in Dublin alone. And although true fans might be convinced that genuine Guinness can only be found in Dublin, "genuine" Guinness is in fact brewed all over the world.

But there must be more to Guinness than just beer, right? What might be behind that famous old advertising slogan, "Guinness is Good for You", for instance? Is it really good for you? Believe it or not, some researchers actually believe it is. As long as it has to do with responsible drinking, of course, some studies have suggested that small amounts of the brew can do a body wonders. One pint of the black concoction a day, for instance, is thought to work as well as an aspirin does when it comes to preventing the risk of heart attacks. Apparently, drinking regular lager does not yield the same benefits as drinking Guinness does, this due to certain antioxidant compounds in Guinness that "normal" beer does not have. Strangely, these antioxidants are very similar to those found in certain types of fruits and vegetables which are also responsible for the slow down of cholesterol buildups on the artery walls.

Or could it be that it's the feel good factor that Guinness is said to provide which is more important when it comes to questions of health? The famous ad campaign originated back in the 1920s and is said to stem from actual research done by the company. When people told company representatives that they felt good after their pint, the famous slogan was born.

Or could this popularity have something to do with the famous Guinness Book of Records? When a Guinness managing director got involved in an argument about the fastest game bird in Europe during a shooting party in the 1950s, he realized that there was no reference book which could easily supply such an answer and that one that might could prove to be quite popular with the public. His hunch was right, of course, and every since 1954 this well-loved book has gained in popularity from year to year. In fact, the Guinness Book of Records now holds a record itself: It is the best-selling copyrighted series of all time.

Nah, regardless of how Guinness may or may not affect your health or how popular the Guinness Book of Records is, I'm sure it's the quality of Guinness itself that makes this beer as popular as it is. And a wildly popular beer it is. Ireland and the UK are still the largest markets in the world for Guinness, of course, and some popular mixed drinks in Britain belay this: A mix of Guinness and champagne is called Black Velvet here, for instance.

And anyone who might be interested in delving into this matter a little more thoroughly and finding out more about this traditional brewing company "up close and personal", will find all he or she needs to know at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. It is here where the brewing of the various beers and the brewery's history is explained in intricate detail. The entry fee includes a free pint of Guinness, by the way, and you can't beat that. So do something for yourself and your heart at the same time and enjoy your visit at the Guinness Storehouse the next chance you get.

Sources are the sites:
www.guinness.com/
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.aspx