Guinness is the No 1 stout in the world

Results 2008

11.4 million 9-litre cases

1.5% volume growth

6.4% net sales growth

Top 5 markets

Great Britain Ireland Nigeria United States Cameroon

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.

Did you know?

2007 saw the launch of Guinness Red in Great Britain. Made from the same raw ingredients as Guinness Draught, Guinness Red uses lightly roasted barley to create a substantial beer with a distinctive red colour.

Brewing of all European Guinness returned to the company’s historic St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin in 2004.

The Guinness ‘Surfer’ advert was voted best television commercial of all time in 2000 by The Sunday Times and Channel 4.

Also in this year, The Guinness Storehouse opened as a visitor attraction. It is now Ireland’s leading site, welcoming over 750,000 visitors every year and recently celebrated its three millionth visitor.

1998 saw the launch of Guinness Draught in cans, known as the first ‘widget’ beer. Three years later it won the Queen’s Award for Technology Achievement.

Brand variants

There are two main Guinness variants: Guinness Draught and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. Guinness Draught, sold predominantly in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia, is available as Guinness Original, Extra Cold, Extra Smooth and most recently as Guinness Red.

