Visiting his ancestral home in Moneygall, Ireland, this week Barack Obama announced that the Guinness tastes better in Ireland than anywhere else in the world.
"The first time I had Guinness," Obama said, "is when I came to the Shannon airport. We were flying into Afghanistan and so stopped in Shannon. It was the middle of the night. And I tried one of these and I realised it tastes so much better here than it does in the States ... You're keeping all the best stuff here!"
Maybe he's right. According to research published in the Journal of Food Science in March, Guinness does not travel well.
Like all great funny stories to come out of a pub, it started with an Irishman, an Englishman, a Dutchman and a German walking into bars. They spent a year of their spare time (probably quite happily) testing the stout in 14 different countries.
During what the authors lightheartedly describe as "extensive pre-testing", a number of factors that might be involved in making the perfect pint were considered. This included such things as the height of the head on the pint, its temperature and its flavour.
In addition, to capture the entire experience, factors such as the temperature of the pub, the sex and nationality of the bartenders, their level of experience and pint-pulling technique were also considered.
They were certainly thorough. Even the presence or absence of female company was considered: it turned out that having women drinking companions did not "inflict any unplanned blinding of the testers, who were all dedicated to the measurements".
History of Guinness.
It is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porterstyle that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries and available in over 100. 1.8 billion pints are sold annually.
The thick creamy head is the result of the beer being mixed with nitrogen when being poured. It is popular with Irish people both in Ireland and abroad and, in spite of a decline in consumption since 2001, is still the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland where Guinness & Co. makes almost €2 billion annually.
Aurther Guinness started brewing ales from 1759 at the St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin. On 31 December he signed (up to) a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum for the unused brewery. Ten years later on 19 May 1769 Guinness exported his ale for the first time, when six and a half barrels were shipped to Great Britain.
A long time subject of bar conversations is the Guinness cascade, where the gas bubbles appear to travel downwards in a pint glass of Guinness.
The effect is attributed to drag; bubbles that touch the walls of a glass are slowed in their travel upwards. Bubbles in the centre of the glass are, however, free to rise to the surface, and thus form a rising column of bubbles. The rising bubbles create a current by the entrainment of the surrounding fluid. As beer rises in the centre, the beer near the outside of the glass falls. This downward flow pushes the bubbles near the glass towards the bottom. Although the effect occurs in any liquid, it is particularly noticeable in any dark nitrogen stout, as the drink combines dark-coloured liquid and light-coloured bubbles.
Types.
Guinness Draught 4.1-4.3% Alcohol By Volume
Guinness Original/Extra Stout 4.2-4.3% ABV
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout 7.5% ABV
Guinness Special Export Stout 8% ABV
Guinness Bitter 4.4% ABV
Guinness Extra Smooth 5.5% ABV
Malta Guinness Non Alcoholic
Guinness Mid-Strength 2.8% ABV
Kaliber 0.05% ABV
Guinness Red 4.1% ABV
250 Anniversary Stout 5% ABV
Canned Draught Guinness should be poured into a large glass in one smooth action, while bottled Draught Guinness should be drunk straight from the bottle
During Saint Patrick's Day outside Ireland, Guinness merchandise is available in many places that sell the drink. Merchandise includes clothing and hats, often available from behind the bar after a specified number of pints of Guinness have been purchased. In addition it is possible to purchase branded merchandise online at the Guinness Webstore.
The Great Guinness Toast... also known as "St. Practice Day" is made up of Guinness drinkers across the country trying to break the record for the largest simultaneous toast. Since it's inception in 1993, The Great Guinness Toast has only grown and breaks it's record every year.
Guinness ran an advertising campaign in the 1920s which stemmed from market research - when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born – "Guinness is Good for You". This type of advertising for alcoholic drinks that implies improved physical performance or enhanced personal qualities is now prohibited in Ireland.Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, says: "We never make any medical claims for our drinks."
It has been said that Guinness uses the harp of Brian Boru as its trademark. However there are differences between the logo and the Brian Boru harp. This harp, dating from the 14th or 15th century, which is on view at Trinity College, Dublin, has been a symbol of Ireland since the reign ofHenry VIII (16th century). Guinness adopted the harp as a logo in 1862; however, it faces right instead of left, and so can be distinguished from the Irish coat of arms.
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