As many of you might know today is Arthur's Day, when proud Guinness drinkers around the world raise a pint to it's founder Arthur Guinness. While we all know this iconic drink originated in Ireland I decided to look into the history of Guinness and see how it became such an international brand.
The Guinness brewery began in 1759 when Arthur took £100 which we had inherited and signed a 9,000 year lease at a dormant brewery in St. James Gate, Dublin. Here he began producing beer and in the 1770's moved into the area of porter. This move proved to be the making of the business with exports increasing steadily throughout the 19th century. Arthur's sons went on to grow the business and by 1876 they were exporting 779,000 barrels of Guinness each year. In 1886 the company went public and saw itself become the largest brewery in the world. The specific recipe for Guinness remains a closely guarded secret. It is little wonder the Guinness name is known throughout the world as 1.8 billion pints of Guinness are sold every year!
If you find yourself in Dublin call into the Guinness storehouse to see how it is made and sample a pint for yourself.
By the way, the simple tie pin in the picture was a commissioned piece of jewelry. Have you ever thought about commissioning a one off piece of jewelry? Why not let us know what you have in mind. We can help you through the process.