When the word Guinness comes to mind, for me at least, it brings a dark stout to the forefront of my thoughts. The wondrous darkened stout beer brewed by the Guinness Company of Dublin, was for the most part all I drank on my trip to Ireland over the spring break of 2004. For those who are not of the legal age to drink yet like myself and have not been outside of the country to places like Ireland were the legal age is 18 (Even though if you can see over the bar they’ll still serve you) Stout is a particularly dark beer. Made with Barrel roasted grains, this wondrous concoction brewed since 1959 is a favorite in many pubs. Many times I thought that that was the only beer Guinness ever made, though I was mistaken.

Guinness the company has been around since 1759, when, using money left to him from the will of Archbishop Price, Arthur Guinness leased a brewery at St. James gate. Though the lease was for 9,000 years, Arthur had to pay an annual rent. The first Production of the Brewery shipped to England consisted of 6 and a half barrels of Ale. In 1790, Guinness expands and builds 2 vat houses still existing in present day.

But alas, in 1799 the last Ale is brewed at the Brewery, and the decision is made to concentrate on making only porter. Ale was the primary production beer for the world as top fermenting yeast is more ample to occur randomly before better beer making technology was available to us simple folk as yeast is in the air and can float onto the liquid and ferment it. Ale takes about a week to ferment. There are several types of Ales, Indian Pale Ale was produced when Britain was sending Ales to India and they would spoil, so they added more Hop’s to preserve it. Brown Ales are darker and mild ales which are less bitter than Bitter which is also a type of ale which is, as the name implies, Bitter. Porter is darker ale that is richer and more full flavored. But in 1801, “west Indies porter” a precursor to the Guinness ‘stout’ today, was brewed.

During the Industrial Revolution in England many things happened. Along side strife and labor disputes, and increase in production technologies mechanics made it possible to barrel roast grains. Darkening grains to points previously unattainable without the use of a bicycle hooked to a barrel and peddling for several days to keep the barrel turning so the grains wouldn’t burn, the new wonders expanded production into the world of Stout. Though no Irishman would admit that their precious ‘Stout’ came from the limeys over the little bit of water, the Stout reached the Guinness Brewery and in 1811, after the death of Arthur Guinness, the first shipment of stout is sent out under the management of Arthur Guinness the second.

In 1821 little Arthur lays down instructions to make ‘Extra Superior Porter’ and in 1834, the glass tax is removed so Guinness is put in glass bottles, rather than clay stuff (they didn’t have cans yet). The Business expands, even gets a part on the London stock exchange. Then in 1901, the first Guinness laboratory was developed under Alexander Forbes Watson a Chemist. In 1931 the SS. Guinness is built as the first ship custom built to carry Guinness Beer.

In 1936 though, Guinness expands out of Ireland, Being a huge power in Dublin 1 in 30 depended on the company for their livelihood, at the beginning of the 1900’s. Guinness builds its first brewery overseas in England, but is transferred to a sterile plant, moving product from metal to wooden barrels.

In 1959, Guinness ‘draught’ is tried, and trials begin. Guinness ‘draught’ is a darker beer, and the one I was referring to believing all Guinness was. I was obviously sourly mistaken. In 1976 over 7 million glasses of Guinness are consumed daily. And By 2001, our beloved beverage of darkened joy would be purchased in pints 2 billion times a year, over 1 million in Britain itself (those drunken Britt’s). Thus concludes our magical journey into the world of Guinness.

-all information was procured from the Guinness home page and the wonders of class notes.