A little history
In December 1759, 34-year-old Arthur Guinness decided to take over a small disused brewery in Dublin's St James's Gate. At the time, rural Ireland drank mostly whiskey and gin, and the existing beers were of poor quality. Arthur Guinness's dark ale was such a success that it supplanted all English dark ales and drove them out of the Irish market. What's more, it was a huge success in England. Guinness beer is characterized by its dark color, due to burnt barley. Around 1820, the adjective "stout" (characterizing a strong, thick beer) was added to describe this type of dark beer. The name "extra-stout" signifies a stronger, fuller-bodied variety. In 1825, Guinness stout was exported abroad. By 1833, the Guinness brewery was officially the largest in Ireland. By 1881, annual production of Guinness exceeded one million barrels, and by 1914 the Guinness brewery, listed on the London Stock Exchange, had become the largest in the world. From then on, the recipe for this famous beverage was served every day in almost ten million glasses around the world. Since then, on September 23, it has been celebrated throughout Ireland with concerts and events in every town, under the name of Arthur's Day. In fact, it's the anniversary of the Guinness brewery itself.
A legendary drink
It's said to be better in Ireland, and the Irish find it better in some pubs than in others... It will take time for your palate to detect these subtleties, but don't panic, Dublin is the ideal city to discover the black stuff.
In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on the brewery in Dublin's St James Gate, opposite which a granary was purchased and converted into a grandiose, fun-filled museum retracing the history of the world's most famous beer, the city's most visited tourist attraction.
Today, Guinness is not only the country's best-selling alcoholic beverage, but also one of the world's most widely exported beers. In Ireland, people drink Guinness, cook with Guinness (oysters, for example), and even treat themselves with Guinness... For many years, pregnant women were told to drink one Guinness a day, as the drink is particularly nourishing! Even today, Guinness is said to be good for the heart, helping to prevent the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries... So if we can combine the useful with the pleasurable!
As a result, Guinness is celebrated not only on the national holiday, but also on September 23. In 2009, Guinness celebrated its 250th anniversary in various parts of the world, on the initiative of its parent company Diageo plc. Concerts were held all over Dublin, as well as in Galway, Kuala Lumpur and Lagos. The rest of the world also joined in, on more personal initiatives, as all bistro owners had of course heard of Arthur Day. Never short of good party ideas, the city of Dublin has decided to make it an annual celebration. And, in 2021, the famous Irish brand once again caused a stir by announcing the arrival on the market of Guinness 0.0, its non-alcoholic version obviously brewed according to the traditional recipe.
The Guinness Storehouse, a must-see
Guinness Storehouse is without doubt one of Dublin's must-sees. In fact, it's one of the country's most popular tourist attractions, attracting almost a million visitors a year. The famous stout with its creamy foam was born within these legendary walls. And for more than 20 years, the famous Irish brand has been creating a museum on these premises, which have of course taken the shape of a giant pint! It's a wonderful idea, celebrating the brand's flagship product, telling its story and that of the eponymous family, detailing the stages in its manufacture (based on water, barley, hops and yeast), showing the tools used to make it through the ages, displaying the famous advertisements and the various bottles from the history of this froth, and so on. Of course, to round off the visit in style and bubbles, we'll treat ourselves to a pint at the panoramic Gravity Bar, a bar perched on the seventh and top floor of the building, offering a fabulous panorama of the Irish capital. What's more, you can look forward to toasting at the same bar as Prince William and Kate. The royal couple have taken up residence in the big, soft armchairs facing Phoenix Park and the mountains in the distance.
Sláinte!
While absolutely every pub in the Irish capital will serve you Guinness, there's one address not to be missed for a toast. In addition to the Gravity Bar, Mulligan's is just around the corner from Temple Bar. Opposite Dublin's Theatre Royal, this is a famous meeting place for locals, with patrons such as Nat King Cole and Judy Garland in the past. This traditional Victorian pub, open since 1782, has a reputation for serving the best Guinness in the Irish capital. It's up to you to make up your own mind! In any case, there's an authentic atmosphere in this lively and charming venue, which also hosted James Joyce and J.F. Kennedy, when he was still a journalist. A legendary bar for a legendary drink.
