Guinness stout is by far the most well-known Irish beer in the US, but there are other amazing beers- like red ales and lagers- produced by Guinness-owned operations as well. In celebration of Irish beer, we explored a variety of Guinness ales for March's Ale Together Now program! We learned about the origins of Guinness Brewery in Dublin, the amazing history of brewing and marketing Guinness beer, and the operations of Guinness today. Grab your favorite Irish ale and join us for this month's journey into the wonderful world of beer!
Guinness as we know it was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland. Arthur somehow negotiated a nine thousand year lease on the property where his St. James Gate Brewery would be housed, for only forty-five euro per year! Arthur opened the Guinness Brewery with one hundred euro received as an inheritance from his father, and the first beer brewed was similar to an English style bitter, brewed with local ingredients. Guinness started exporting product to England in 1769, and started brewing porters in 1778, which were instantly popular and became Arthur's sole brand in 1799. It didn't take long for Guinness Brewery to become hugely successful!
Smithwick's Brewery, founded by John Smithwick in 1710 in County Kilkenny, is Ireland's oldest commercial brewer. The building that housed the brewery was already known for beer production, as it had originally been used as the site for the Saint Frances Abbey. Smithwick's brewed a beer with local grains and Flemish hops, and was purchased by Guinness in 1965. Beer production moved to Dublin in 1913-- but interestingly, Paul Smithwick re-opened the previously closed Sullivan's brewery in 2016, in an effort to revive traditional Irish brewing.
We sampled Smithwick's red ale, a wonderfully balanced beer at 4.5% ABV (alcohol by volume). This brew features a little malt sweetness, a lovely flavor of roasted barley, and a hint of hop.
The Guinness empire focused on development, expansion, and philanthropy in the nineteenth century. The brewery continued to grow in popularity, and when the Guinness extra stout was brewed in 1821, it quickly became the face of the Guinness brand. By 1833, Guinness was the largest brewery in Ireland. The Guinness family focused on increasing foreign trade, amped up its branding, and expanded into six acres of property. The harp logo, a reference to the historical symbol of Ireland, was first used in 1862. By the late 1880's, Guinness Brewery was the largest brewery in the world!
Our next sample was, of course, the Guinness Extra Stout. At 5.6% ABV, this dark, roasty, crisp beer is a fantastic ode to traditional Irish brewing.
By the twentieth century, Guinness was a pioneer and titan of Irish brewing. They started their first research lab in 1901 for further innovation in brewing chemistry and branding. After the first world war, Guinness focused its branding on the phrase "Guinness is good for you!", to encourage Guinness lovers to enjoy a beer before bed to promote healthy sleep (you can decide for yourself if Guinness is an effective sleep aid). The very interesting "My goodness, my Guinness!" ad campaign ran in the 1930's, featuring a variety of zoo animals stealing a man's Guinness. Other ads featured moon-like smiles in the head of a glass of Guinness, and giant toucans balancing a pint on their beaks. The ads were eye-catching, colorful, and definitely weird-- but also loveable, somehow.
After the second world war, Guinness expanded further, acquiring more than twenty global breweries. In 1960, Guinness introduced a beer that is, in many ways, the complete opposite of the well-known Extra Stout-- Harp Lager. Harp was a lighter beer produced to compete with domestic lager brands, and was wildly successful. By 1967, Harp made up a quarter of all British lager consumption!
We sampled Harp lager, a beer produced by Guinness featuring a crisp, refreshing, and slightly hoppy taste.
Guinness continued to innovate into the twentieth century. They created the tradition of the Guinness Book of World Records in 1955, and switched to keg brewing by means of the "Ash Can", a self-contained, two-part keg developed by Michael Ash to replicate the creamy texture of a draught Guinness in a can.
Nitro and draught stouts became popular in the early 1960's with the invention of the widget, a nitrogen-filled sphere in a beer can that contributes to the creamy texture and head of a nitrogenated beer, and new glass shapes designed to better enjoy nitro beers. Nitro beers are beers with mostly nitrogen added, post-fermentation, to the beer instead of carbon dioxide. This produces smaller bubbles and a more smooth, creamy mouthfeel. When we pour a nitro Guinness, you may notice the beer "fall" as the head settles. As bubbles in the middle of the glass rise, they push down the bubbles that cling to the glass, creating the lovely "falling" effect that nitro-drinkers know and love.
We got to sample Guinness Draught Stout, a dark, smooth, velvety beer at 4.2% ABV.
Guinness is still a huge beer brand today, and though much has changed with the brewery since 1759, it is still a staple of fantastic beer. A mega-merger in 1997 between Guinness and Grand Metropolitan formed the Diageo drink brand, which owns more than two hundred brands in 180 countries, including forty percent of all Scotch! Guinness today is no longer run by a Guinness family descendant, and focuses much of its energy on TV ads, branding, and merchandise. Guinness makes up a quarter of all beer consumed in Ireland, and still hugely popular and well-loved in the US.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this month's Ale Together Now session, and don't forget that registration is open now for all April programs! We hope to see you at Ale Together Now on Wednesday, April 23, and at our other fantastic upcoming programs as well. Until then, be sure to enjoy your favorite Irish beer, and don't forget to visit your favorite brewery or beer store and try something new!