2008 Woodie Awards
Mythbusting: tried and true Irish tradition
Beer dude explores history of Guinness
By Tim McCall, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Arts & Living
With a new school year upon us, the beer column is back to teach and talk everything and anything beer.
This July, I had the opportunity to go to Ireland for a week. Ireland is an outstanding place, full of history, scenic sights and, of course, good beer. The best beer in Ireland was Guinness, so I figured it was fitting to devote my first beer column of fall 2008 to Guinness and its excellence.
History
The history of Guinness could be a column ¬- or even a book ¬- in itself, but don't worry; I won't get too into the details. I'll give you the Cliff Notes instead.
Arthur Guinness started brewing beer in 1759 after purchasing a brewery in Dublin. At first, Guinness was solely brewing ales. It wasn't until the 1770s that Guinness decided to brew porters, which had become a popular English import in the late 18th century. The new porters outsold the Guinness ale, which ceased production in 1799.
In 1801, Guinness brewed a beer named West Indies Porter. This beer was the precursor of today's Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. The brew had 3 percent more alcohol than traditional Guinness. Two years later, Guinness passed away and left the company to his son, Arthur Guinness II.
Arthur Guinness II began exporting the porters to other countries. By the 1820s, Guinness was served in Portugal, Trinidad, Sierra, Barbados and the Guernsey Islands.
Benjamin Lee Guinness took over the company after the death of his father in 1850. Under his leadership, Guinness finally crossed the Atlantic and reaches the United States - New York, to be exact.
Guinness was one of the main employers for the Irish during the first half of the 20th century. The brewery employed 3,240 Dubliners in 1906 alone. This number continued to grow as economic hard times hit the country for many years.
Today Guinness continues to be brewed in Dublin, as well as in many other countries such as Jamaica, England and Nigeria. In all, Guinness is brewed in 49 countries.
The original brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin is still in operation today, but the main function of the location is as the Guinness Storehouse. The storehouse has daily tours and comes across like a Disney attraction for beer fans. At the top of the storehouse is Guinness' Gravity Bar that gives out one free pint with each adult ticket stub at the end of the tour. Go early in the day to appreciate the panoramic view or otherwise you'll be jammed in, since this is a popular tourist attraction and spot to start pub crawls.
Myths
Besides the important history of Guinness, Guinness is also known for its popular myths. One of my friends told me before I left for Ireland that the Guinness brewery only pays a pound a year in taxes because the building is so old. Another myth I have heard over the years was the darker the beer, the larger the alcohol content in each pint. The most popular myth I've heard is that Americans do not know how to properly pour a pint of Guinness.
None of those stories are true.
Arthur Guinness did sign a 9,000-year lease, but his taxes were never a pound a year. His annual rent was 45 pounds a year.
The alcohol content myth is even further off than the first: The color of a beer has nothing to do with its alcohol content. And while we are on the subject of color, Guinness is not even black. Next time you are at a bar, hold your glass to the light; you will notice the beer is actually a ruby red color.
But, where was I? Oh yes, the alcohol content. Guinness is a stout and stouts are traditionally dark in color because of the roasted barley. The alcohol content for a traditional Guinness drought is only 4.2 percent. To put this in context, your buddy's Keystone Light also has an alcohol content of 4.2.
The last myth is told more on the Irish side than the American side. Since the Irish are the original drinkers of Guinness, they do know how to pour a perfect glass. But the finer bars in America can pour a close second best.
If you really want to impress someone and pour a Guinness the Irish way, just follow these simple directions. First, pour the pint about halfway, and then let it settle. After two minutes, continue pouring until you have reached the top. At this point, pull the tab (these are bar instructions, by the way) the opposite way (toward the patron) briefly and then let the Guinness settle for another two minutes.
Yes, a pint of Guinness takes effort and four minutes to pour, but it is worth it. Trust me.
Limited Edition Failure
Not everything Guinness pours is a success. In 2005, Guinness introduced a Brewhouse Series of limited edition brews. Each beer was to be served on tap in local pubs for six months. The first in this series, Brew 39, was released from late 2005 to around March 2006. According to local bartenders, this stout tasted very similar to traditional Guinness except for some added hops in the aftertaste.
The second brew was the Toucan Brew, named after the famous Toucan from Guinness advertisements. This beer contained three times the hops as regular Guinness.
North Star was the third and final brew of this series. According to my bartender at the Knights Bar, North Star was the only successful beer of the series and Guinness abandoned the series at its discontinuation.
Taste
Guinness comes in many types, but the subject here will be the Guinness Draught, since it is the most available type of Guinness in the United States.
If you buy it in a bottle or nitro can, it says to serve this beer extra cold. Ignore that suggestion. Simply refrigerate the beer for a couple hours after you get back from the liquor store and it will be fine to drink.
While it is fun to drink straight from the bottle, this beer is best served in a nice tall glass. The bottles and cans come with a nitro cap, helping the beer pour correctly every time, even if you just simply pour directly into the glass.
Now that it's in the right glass, it's time to drink. Guinness draught goes down smoothly, with a hint of coffee and chocolate. Unlike most dark beers, Guinness is not heavy on hops like India Pale Ale or anything Sam Adams.
The smoothness makes this beer perfect for all seasons - yes, even summer. Guinness goes great with spicy barbeque and calzones. It's not a party beer, but it's definitely good for a get-together with friends at the Grad Lounge
. Help Wanted
Beer column writing and drinking alone is never a good thing. But my friend and fellow beer dude Derrick Perkins graduated last May, leaving me to write this column alone. But instead of calling it quits, I ask you, the reader: Do you want to be a fellow beer dude or dudette for a column or two? E-mail me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Tim McCall can be reached at tmccall@student.umass.edu.
This July, I had the opportunity to go to Ireland for a week. Ireland is an outstanding place, full of history, scenic sights and, of course, good beer. The best beer in Ireland was Guinness, so I figured it was fitting to devote my first beer column of fall 2008 to Guinness and its excellence.
History
The history of Guinness could be a column ¬- or even a book ¬- in itself, but don't worry; I won't get too into the details. I'll give you the Cliff Notes instead.
Arthur Guinness started brewing beer in 1759 after purchasing a brewery in Dublin. At first, Guinness was solely brewing ales. It wasn't until the 1770s that Guinness decided to brew porters, which had become a popular English import in the late 18th century. The new porters outsold the Guinness ale, which ceased production in 1799.
In 1801, Guinness brewed a beer named West Indies Porter. This beer was the precursor of today's Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. The brew had 3 percent more alcohol than traditional Guinness. Two years later, Guinness passed away and left the company to his son, Arthur Guinness II.
Arthur Guinness II began exporting the porters to other countries. By the 1820s, Guinness was served in Portugal, Trinidad, Sierra, Barbados and the Guernsey Islands.
Benjamin Lee Guinness took over the company after the death of his father in 1850. Under his leadership, Guinness finally crossed the Atlantic and reaches the United States - New York, to be exact.
Guinness was one of the main employers for the Irish during the first half of the 20th century. The brewery employed 3,240 Dubliners in 1906 alone. This number continued to grow as economic hard times hit the country for many years.
Today Guinness continues to be brewed in Dublin, as well as in many other countries such as Jamaica, England and Nigeria. In all, Guinness is brewed in 49 countries.
The original brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin is still in operation today, but the main function of the location is as the Guinness Storehouse. The storehouse has daily tours and comes across like a Disney attraction for beer fans. At the top of the storehouse is Guinness' Gravity Bar that gives out one free pint with each adult ticket stub at the end of the tour. Go early in the day to appreciate the panoramic view or otherwise you'll be jammed in, since this is a popular tourist attraction and spot to start pub crawls.
Myths
Besides the important history of Guinness, Guinness is also known for its popular myths. One of my friends told me before I left for Ireland that the Guinness brewery only pays a pound a year in taxes because the building is so old. Another myth I have heard over the years was the darker the beer, the larger the alcohol content in each pint. The most popular myth I've heard is that Americans do not know how to properly pour a pint of Guinness.
None of those stories are true.
Arthur Guinness did sign a 9,000-year lease, but his taxes were never a pound a year. His annual rent was 45 pounds a year.
The alcohol content myth is even further off than the first: The color of a beer has nothing to do with its alcohol content. And while we are on the subject of color, Guinness is not even black. Next time you are at a bar, hold your glass to the light; you will notice the beer is actually a ruby red color.
But, where was I? Oh yes, the alcohol content. Guinness is a stout and stouts are traditionally dark in color because of the roasted barley. The alcohol content for a traditional Guinness drought is only 4.2 percent. To put this in context, your buddy's Keystone Light also has an alcohol content of 4.2.
The last myth is told more on the Irish side than the American side. Since the Irish are the original drinkers of Guinness, they do know how to pour a perfect glass. But the finer bars in America can pour a close second best.
If you really want to impress someone and pour a Guinness the Irish way, just follow these simple directions. First, pour the pint about halfway, and then let it settle. After two minutes, continue pouring until you have reached the top. At this point, pull the tab (these are bar instructions, by the way) the opposite way (toward the patron) briefly and then let the Guinness settle for another two minutes.
Yes, a pint of Guinness takes effort and four minutes to pour, but it is worth it. Trust me.
Limited Edition Failure
Not everything Guinness pours is a success. In 2005, Guinness introduced a Brewhouse Series of limited edition brews. Each beer was to be served on tap in local pubs for six months. The first in this series, Brew 39, was released from late 2005 to around March 2006. According to local bartenders, this stout tasted very similar to traditional Guinness except for some added hops in the aftertaste.
The second brew was the Toucan Brew, named after the famous Toucan from Guinness advertisements. This beer contained three times the hops as regular Guinness.
North Star was the third and final brew of this series. According to my bartender at the Knights Bar, North Star was the only successful beer of the series and Guinness abandoned the series at its discontinuation.
Taste
Guinness comes in many types, but the subject here will be the Guinness Draught, since it is the most available type of Guinness in the United States.
If you buy it in a bottle or nitro can, it says to serve this beer extra cold. Ignore that suggestion. Simply refrigerate the beer for a couple hours after you get back from the liquor store and it will be fine to drink.
While it is fun to drink straight from the bottle, this beer is best served in a nice tall glass. The bottles and cans come with a nitro cap, helping the beer pour correctly every time, even if you just simply pour directly into the glass.
Now that it's in the right glass, it's time to drink. Guinness draught goes down smoothly, with a hint of coffee and chocolate. Unlike most dark beers, Guinness is not heavy on hops like India Pale Ale or anything Sam Adams.
The smoothness makes this beer perfect for all seasons - yes, even summer. Guinness goes great with spicy barbeque and calzones. It's not a party beer, but it's definitely good for a get-together with friends at the Grad Lounge
. Help Wanted
Beer column writing and drinking alone is never a good thing. But my friend and fellow beer dude Derrick Perkins graduated last May, leaving me to write this column alone. But instead of calling it quits, I ask you, the reader: Do you want to be a fellow beer dude or dudette for a column or two? E-mail me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Tim McCall can be reached at tmccall@student.umass.edu.
Be the first to comment on this story