The iconic pint of Guinness – dark as midnight with a creamy head – has been around for 260 years. As the go-to drink on St Patrick’s Day, it keeps Irish eyes smiling then and year-round. Let’s take a look at some fascinating facts about Ireland’s finest.
1. Clever Guinness can design
You may have noticed the small ball at the bottom of your Guinness can. This widget brings you draught ambience in your tin – when you pop the can, a small quantity of beer and nitrogen gets forced out, creating the satisfying creamy head you would expect on tap. This clever invention was given the Queen’s Award for Technology in 1991.
2. Facial hair traps Guinness
In 2000, Guinness discovered that around 162,719 pints of stout get lost annually in facial hair, with 56ml of Guinness getting trapped with every sip (a pint taking 10 sips). Approximately 92,370 bearded UK Guinness drinkers consuming around 180 pints each year allow £414,000 go to waste annually.
The Guinness website has lots of other interesting facts and figures, while special St Patricks Day gifts are available from companies such as https://www.shamrockgift.com/st-patricks-day.
3. Guinness has African breweries
You may be surprised to know that Guinness owns five breweries across Ireland, Nigeria, Cameroon, Malaysia and Ghana.
Historically, the beer was exported from Ireland to Trinidad, Barbados and the British colony of Sierra Leone in the early nineteenth century. Guinness was shipped to British colonies and military outposts, with partnerships developing with local breweries that still sell the beer to this day.
4. Pouring the ideal stout
There are six steps for pouring the perfect Guinness:
– Start with a dry, cool glass.
– Hold it at a 45-degree angle under the spout of the tap.
– Pull the handle and let the drink flow.
– Fill the glass until you get to 0.75 inches from the top.
– Allow it to settle for exactly 119.5 seconds.
– Take the glass again to an angle of 45 degrees, pushing the handle back until the head is just proud of the glass.
5. Guinness is red
It may not be apparent in a dimly-lit pub but Guinness is actually a dark ruby red colour. Roasted malted barley is responsible for the rich hue.
