Guinness

Guinness

Type	Stout (beer)
Manufacturer	Diageo
Country of origin	Ireland
Alcohol by volume	4.2%
Colour	Black (officially described as very dark ruby-red)[1]
Flavour	Dry
Variants	Guinness 0.0 Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer Guinness Original Guinness West Indies Porter
Website	guinness.com

Guinness (/ˈɡɪnɪs/) is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120.^[2][3] Sales in 2011 amounted to 850,000,000 litres (190,000,000 imp gal; 220,000,000 U.S. gal).^[2] It is the highest-selling beer in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The Guinness Storehouse is a tourist attraction at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Since opening in 2000, it has received over 20 million visitors.

Guinness's flavour derives from malted barley and roasted unmalted barley; the unmalted barley is a relatively modern addition that became part of the grist in the mid-20th century. For many years, a portion of aged brew was blended with freshly brewed beer to give a sharp lactic acid flavour. Although Guinness's palate still features a characteristic "tang", the company has refused to confirm whether this type of blending still occurs. The draught beer's thick and creamy head comes from mixing the beer with nitrogen and carbon dioxide.^[4]

The company moved its headquarters to London at the beginning of the Anglo-Irish trade war in 1932. In 1997, Guinness plc merged with Grand Metropolitan to form the multinational alcoholic-drinks producer Diageo plc, based in London.