Guinness

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 6:47pm

Brewery:

Arthur Guinness & Son

Established:

1759

Motto:

My Goodness, My Guinness!

Website:

http://www.guinness.com

Importer:

DIAGEO

How we produce Guinness

The specific recipe of this world famous product is a closely guarded secret. The stuff of many a legend, it is made from a combination of water, barley, malt, hops and brewer’s yeast. Despite the myths, the water doesn’t come from the River Liffey. It is from Lady’s Well in the Wicklow Mountains. The barley is, of course, Irish-grown.

A proportion of the barley is flaked and roasted to give its dark ruby colour and characteristic malty, caramel taste. It is then pasteurised and filtered.

A unique mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide creates the liquid swirl that tumbles, surges and gradually separates into a black body and smooth creamy head. This rise and fall of bubbles is at the heart of the secret formula and a key part of the Guinness allure.

And yet, Guinness is almost as much about its serving as its production. For the perfect pint, tilt the glass to 45 degrees and carefully pour until three quarters full. Then place the glass on the bar counter and leave to settle. Once the surge has settled to perfection, fill the glass to the brim. This is the legendary Guinness ‘two-part pour’. It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. One thing is never in doubt, Guinness is worth the wait.

The history behind Guinness

Arthur Guinness started brewing the famous stout in Dublin in 1759, having purchased a dormant brewery with £100 which he had been left in his godfather’s will.

Arthur signed up to a 9,000 year lease on the brewery, with an annual rent of £45.

In the 1770s, a new drink popular with the market porters at Covent Garden in London was being exported by London brewers to Dublin. At this time Arthur Guinness was brewing ale. However, he decided to tackle the English brewers at their own game, and tried his hand at the new ‘Porter’, with rather more success than other Dublin brewers.

Expansion into foreign markets was spearheaded under the guidance of Arthur’s three sons who succeeded him in the family business.

Before the close of the 19th century, the Guinness brewery was the largest in the world, and the company, Arthur Guinness and Sons,was floated on the London Stock Exchange. By this time, Guinness was introduced into markets as far afield as America, Australia, the Far East and Africa, often in partnership with local brewers, making the brand the global icon it is today.

Brewery Pictures: