The Guinness tradition goes far beyond that of most breweries one would find in America. Ireland business was the heart of Dublin for some time. One in ten men relied on the brewery either directly or indirectly as their source of income.
The dark ruby stout may seem a little intimidating to the average beer drinker. However, its smooth refined taste will put other beers to shame.
The Guinness business was started by Arthur Guinness in the mid 1700s. He received 100 lire from a dead relative’s will and signed a 9000 year lease to begin the first Guinness brewery. The Guinness brewery in the heart of Dublin was one of 10 breweries located on a single block. After a rocky start, Guinness’s brewery started booming.
There used to be a saying in Ireland, “get yourself a Guinness man.” The reason being, they made quite a salary, higher than most other jobs in Dublin. In addition, the men were given free Guinness at the end of every shift. If they did not want it, they were given extra money to compensate for not taking advantage of the free beer.
Walk into an Irish bar around Columbus and look at the range of people drinking Guinness. To some it is considered a drink for men, but several women in Irish pubs are tipping back pints of “the black stuff.”
There is a common misconception that Guinness is somehow worse for you than most beers. Contrary to that belief, Guinness has no fat and 196 calories per serving, less than an equal amount of orange juice, skim milk and most other beers.
The beer has a heritage as rich and colorful as the pint itself. When one drinks a Guinness he becomes part of the history that makes the beer one of the finest in the world.
Next time you go to a bar, ask for pionta Guinness led thoil (a pint of Guinness please) and become one of the millions of people that shares in this rich tradition that started in a small Irish brewery over 200 years ago.
