The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

Guinness gracious, it’s nearly St. Patrick’s Day!

GUINESS PINTSt. Patrick’s Day is not just for the Irish. It’s for everyone!

So join the crowd on Tuesday, March 17th and enjoy Ireland’s favourite stout this St Patrick’s Day. Whether it’s an after work pint with friends, a traditional Irish lunch or some Guinness chocolate mousse for dessert, there are plenty of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

With so many mistruths told about Guinness, let’s just take a second to clear a couple of things up. It’s not a meal in a glass. It doesn’t have more calories than other beer. The top isn’t made from cream and it’s definitely not just a drink for men.

So whether you’re a lover of the black stuff or just a little curious, what better day to give it a craic than the global celebration of the patron saint of Ireland? After all, it’s not St. Patrick’s Day without Guinness.

GUINESS FACTS

  • Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the St. James’s Gate Brewery on 31st December 1759 for 45, meaning there’s only 8,744 years left on the lease – time to renew!
  • Around ten million pints of Guinness are consumed around the world every day, that’s almost two billion pints a year.
  • If last year is anything to go by, St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated by over 70 million people, in six continents, with over 13 million pints of Guinness enjoyed.
  • Guinness stout is made from four natural ingredients: water, barley (malted and roasted), hops and yeast.
  • Guinness stout is ruby red in colour. It’s the roasted barley that gives Guinness its famous colour.
  • St. Patrick was not Irish. He was from Wales.
  • St. Patrick’s name wasn’t Patrick. His real name was actually Maewyn Succat.
  • Guinness is brewed in more than 45 countries worldwide and sold in over 150.
  • The most Guinness is sold in Great Britain, followed by Ireland, USA, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
  • St. James’s Gate at the entrance to the Guinness brewery in Dublin was once the start of a pilgrimage to Compostella in Spain and pilgrims from all over Ireland used to gather on this site to start the journey to Spain.

Guinness should be enjoyed on St. Patrick‘s Day, and any other occasion, responsibly.

Sláinte! (Sloyn-cheh) Cheers!