The (very) brief history of Guinness
Would a Porter by any other name taste as sweet?
As an English beer style, porter was first mentioned in 1721, as a development of brown beer already being produced in London, delivered to publicans to age and blend themselves.
Then an Irishman walks into the bar.
Arthur Guinness (praise be) first took up the mash paddle in the mid-1700s, likely under his father’s guidance. This may have been while the family lived on the vicar’s estate; his father, well-educated for a non-noble, managed the house and grounds, possibly including brewing beer, from 1722-1752. Or (and more likely), at Arthur’s stepmother and father’s public house after late-1752. Yeast used for a Guinness stout is, to this day, kept under lock and key, may have originated from this public house.
In 1759, Arthur moved to Dublin (having already started his first-ever brewery, and leaving this in the care of his brother), coinciding with the Seven Years’ War, which left behind a financial crisis i.e. lots of affordable property. Cue Artie snatching up a nine-years-abandoned brewery at St. James’ Gate (a historic, mediaeval entrance to west Dublin).
The Gate, known for brewing “beer and fine ales” since at least the 1600s, was set up perfectly - the previous family had set up a free water-supply lease with the City (“Dublin Corporation”), and access to malt and hops was plentiful from neighbouring farms.
Welp, it didn’t take long for The Corpo to realise just how much water a successful brewery could use, and tried to cut off the supply. For nearly a decade there were water-lease feuds. No match for a literal pickaxe-weiding Arthur though! He renegotiated and Mad-Maxed his way into a very low-cost lease (only 10£/year!).
But wait! There is no stout without the porter, they are intertwined beer styles after all. The name "stout" was originally a prefix for a stronger than average porter. Guinness, as the dry stout similar to what we know today, was initially produced in 1759 and branded as a “Double Stout Porter”. Guinness’ porter, a relatively new style in the 1770s, was so good and started to gain popularity that Guinness stopped brewing his other ale styles (but worth noting, for decades, Guinness’ beer was not the most popular in the city, and would often be surpassed by other already-popular brewers, and was far out-weighed by English brewers’ porter). As the 19th century progressed, the “-porter” suffix was gradually dropped (too big a mouthful for some).
Today, the lore of this ebony nectar far outreaches its original Emerald Isle, and it’s common to find imitations in breweries worldwide.
For centuries now the company has come to be known for its unusual but recognizable advertisements, philanthropy, the welfare schemes for its employees and its sheer volume of beer production are feats unto themselves. But when poured properly, the stout porter does all the heavy lifting (Guinness for strength! after all).
-sp
