The Black Stuff: Guinness

The Guinness brand of beer was founded by Arthur Guinness at the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland in 1759. Inspired by the porter style of beer that was popular in 18th century England, Guinness created a beer in which the malt barley is roasted in a distinctive way that gives Guinness its dark color and unique taste. Guinness began to market its beer as a stout, and today, the name Guinness is largely synonymous with the style of stout.

Guinness Draught was created in 1959, and its complex texture and creamy head would ultimately make Guinness one of the most well known beers in the world. (Guinness Draught should not be confused with Guinness Extra Stout which is far more bitter and closer in taste to what beer drinkers drank in the 19th century.) Today, there are three types of Guinness Draught: the original Guinness Draught that is served on tap, Guinness Draught Cans, and Guinness Draught Bottles.

The tap style of Guinness Draught is by far the most popular. Served up in pubs and restaurants around the world, its two-tone white creamy head and black beer base is widely considered the world's most beautiful looking glass of beer. In regards to taste, it is full-bodied, yet incredibly smooth with just the slightest hint of caramel. Guinness Draught differs from other beers in that the delivery system that pours the beer is an integral part of the process that creates the look as well as the taste. When a Guinness is pulled at a tap, the beer is infused with a special blend of nitrogen and carbon dioxide and pumped through a special filter-type plate. Guinness refers to this process as the "surge" system which requires a two-part pour that takes two minutes to complete. Because of these complexities, the quality of Guinness Draught from the tap can vary from pub to pub and is dependent upon the bartender pouring your glass of Guinness properly.

To read my complete review of Guinness Draught at Helium, you can click HERE>>>

Harp Lager

Harp is a lager style beer whose home brewery is called the Great Northern Brewery and is located in Dundalk, Co. Louth in the Republic of Ireland, which is strategically located about half way between Dublin and Belfast. Harp was first introduced in 1960 as a result of the efforts of a consortium of six different breweries in Ireland and the United Kingdom. During the 1950s, lighter pale lagers from Europe, such as the Dutch Heineken and the Danish Carlsburg had made serious inroads into the markets of Ireland and the UK, nations known for their heavier, darker ales. To answer this challenge, the Dundalk brewery was purchased and a brew-master from Germany, Herman Muenster, was brought in and charged with the task of creating a "continental" style lager using Irish resources. Harp Lager was the result.

Today, there is an element of romance associated with Harp, and that is nearly entirely due to its associations, perceived or real, with the brewing legend Guinness. The fact of the matter is that Harp is less a Guinness product than an acquisition made by Guinness. It is true that Guinness was one of the original six owners that purchased the Great Northern Brewery for the purpose of creating Harp, but it was not involved in the creation of the beer or the management of the brewery. Over the course of time, Guinness did ultimately obtain sole ownership of Harp, and at least in North America, Guinness and Harp were frequently marketed together, leading many to believe that Harp was brewed by Guinness and was actually just a lager version of Guinness. Since the Diageo group purchased Guinness, Guinness and Harp are no longer marketed together, but Harp is still prominently advertised as being "from the brewers of Guinness."

You can read my complete review Harp at Helium by clicking HERE>>>

Guinness

There's nothing like a Guinness. The black beer with the creamiest head in the business, Guinness is an acquired taste for most, but once that taste is acquired, satiating it becomes a life-long passion. Its roasted barley gives it its distinctive color and taste. Though the parent company which owns Guinness is headquartered in London, Guinness was founded in Dublin, Ireland and is considered an Irish beer.

Link to article HERE>>>