Guinnes History

By luc903

  • The start

    Arthur Guinness, aged 34, signed a 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin for an annual rent of £45.
  • Period: to

    Guinness

  • The first export

    The first export shipment of six and a half barrels of Guinness stout left Dublin on a sailing vessel bound for England.

  • Water problem

    Dublin Corporation sheriff sent to cut off and fill in the water course from which the Brewery drew its free water supplies. Arthur defended his water by threatening the party with a pickaxe.

  • Goes to west indian porter

    First record of brewing of Guinness variant West India Porter – made with higher hop rate to withstand long sea journeys (hops are natural preservative). Precursor of modern day Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.

  • Arthur Guinness Dies

    Arthur Guinness died aged 78 and his son, Arthur Guinness II, took over the Brewery.

  • Guinnes help wounded cavalry officer

    Guinness well known on the Continent – legend states that Guinness aided the recovery of a cavalry officer wounded at Battle of Waterloo.

  • Guinness Extra Superior Porter

    Arthur Guinness II set down precise instructions for brewing a beer known as Guinness Extra Superior Porter – the precursor of today’s Guinness Original (known as Guinness Original in UK only, otherwise Guinness Extra Stout in Ireland and US)

  • Guinnesss in the newspaper

    Guinness well known worldwide. First known advertisement printed in a Dublin newspaper for “Guinness’s East & West India Porter”.

  • Guinness grows

    Brewery became the largest brewery in Ireland

  • Arthur Guinness II joins parliament

    Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, son of Arthur Guinness II, took over the Brewery on the death of his father. Sir Benjamin Lee became a Member of Parliament for Dublin City and also served as Lord Mayor of Dublin. Among his charitable deeds, he contributed £150,000 towards the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.

  • Guinness label introduced

    Guinness trademark label was introduced - a buff oval label with the harp and Arthur Guinness’ signature. The Harp was registered as a trademark in 1876.

  • Benjamin Guinness dies

    Benjamin Lee Guinness died and his son Edward Cecil took over the Brewery.

  • Guinness Breweries double

    Under Edward Cecil, the size of the Brewery doubled to over 50 acres and spread north to bound the river Liffey to accommodate new Brewery buildings linked by an internal railway system.

  • Biggest brewery in the world

    Guinness became the first major brewery to be incorporated as a public company on the London Stock Exchange. It was the largest brewery in the world with an annual production of 1.2 million barrels.

  • Edward Cecil appointed the first Lord of Iveagh

    Edward Cecil appointed the first Lord of Iveagh and established the Guinness and Iveagh Trusts to provide homes for the poor in Dublin and London. He made substantial contributions to Trinity College Dublin and Dublin hospitals. His brother Arthur landscaped St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin and gave it as a gift to the public.

  • Guinness goes to western Samoa

    Robert Louis Stevenson brought supplies of Guinness to Western Samoa and wrote about drinking a pint while recovering from influenza.

  • world traveller

    “World traveller” appointed to report on quality and sales of Guinness in overseas markets in North and South America, Africa, Far East and Australia.

  • world traveller

    “World traveller” appointed to report on quality and sales of Guinness in overseas markets in North and South America, Africa, Far East and Australia.

  • Guinness goes to South pole

    Guinness brought to the frozen wastes of the South Pole. Sir Douglas Mawson, the Australian explorer, left some Guinness behind at his base camp, which was discovered by another expedition in 1927.

  • Rupert Guinness

    Rupert Guinness succeeded his father, Edward Cecil, as Chairman of the Company.

  • Guinness is Good for you

    2 million pints of Guinness are sold a day. First ever Guinness advertisement with the slogan “Guinness is Good For You” published in the British national press. This was soon followed by advertisements featuring the cartoon characters created by John Gilroy. His famous series of posters of the distraught zookeeper and his mischievous animals carried the line ‘My Goodness, My Guinness’.

  • First Guinness brewery outside of Dublin

    First Guinness brewery outside Dublin built at Park Royal, London.

  • 5 million pints of Guinness a day

    5 million pints of Guinness enjoyed every day

  • First Guinness Book of Records

    First Guinness Book of Records was published.

  • Draught Guinness

    Draught Guinness first introduced.

  • First Guinness overseas brewery outside the British Isles

    First Guinness overseas brewery outside the British Isles was opened in Nigeria. Breweries in Malaysia, Jamaica, Ghana and Cameroon followed.

  • Guinness in a can

    Draught Guinness in a can launched, using a widget to recreate the creamy surge. Won the Queen’s award for technological achievement in
    1991.

  • Guinness in a bottle

    Guinness Draught in Bottle launched.

  • Guinness Storehouse

    Guinness Storehouse, Home of Guinness, opened to the public.

  • Guinness worldwide

    10 million glasses of Guinness are enjoyed in over 150 countries around the world.