Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout
This year marks the 250th anniversary for Guinness. To celebrate this occasion, they will be launching a Special Edition Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout on April 24th.
“Using a unique brewhouse process that combines the use of stout and ale malt, it’s a distinctive carbonated stout with a clean, smooth finish. This is especially exciting, as we haven’t introduced a new stout to the US since 1967, when we first started importing Guinness Draught.”
It’s only available for a limited time.
Important points in Guinness History:
1725 – Birth of a legend: Arthur, son of Richard and Elizabeth Guinness is born in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
1752 – Blessed inheritance: Arthur Guinness is left £100 in the will of Archbishop Price. Three years later he sets up business as a brewer in Leixlip, County Kildare, just 17km from Dublin.
1759 – Signing: Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. It costs him an initial £100 with an annual rent of £45 – this crucially includes water rights. The brewery covers four acres and consists of a copper, a kieve, a mill, two malthouses, stabling for 12 horses and a loft to hold 200 tons of hay. Arthur begins brewing porter and ale.
1769 – Genius exported for the first time: The first export shipment of six and a half barrels of GUINNESS beer leaves Dublin on a sailing vessel bound for England.
1775 – Troubled waters: On 16th May a Dublin Corporation committee & sheriff are sent to cut off and fill in the channel from which the Brewery draws its water. Arthur Guinness is forced to brandish a pickaxe to protect his supply. The dispute is finally settled in 1784 when water rights are granted for 8,975 years.
1803 – Arthur Guinness dies: Raise a glass to the memory of a true original. His son, Arthur Guinness II, inherits the brewing mantle.
1821 – Secrets of a perfect porter: Arthur Guinness II sets down precise instructions for brewing GUINNESS Extra Superior Porter – the precursor to today’s GUINNESS Original and GUINNESS Extra Stout.
1834 – New bottles have clear advantage: The Glass Tax is repealed and GUINNESS can now be bottled in glass rather than stoneware.
1850s – From father to son to grandson: Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, son of Arthur Guinness II, takes over the brewery on the death of his father. Sir Benjamin Lee becomes a Member of Parliament for Dublin City and also serves as Lord Mayor of Dublin.
1862 – The Harp plays its first bars: The trademark beer label is introduced – a buff oval label with the harp and Arthur Guinness’ signature. The Harp is registered as a trademark in 1876.
1914 – Brewery output is up to almost 3 million barrels.
1976 – Over 7 million glasses of Guinness are drowned daily.
1985 – Guinness now sold in 120 countries and brewed in 25.
1997 – Diageo is formed: Guinness PLC & Grand Metropolitan PLC merge to form Diageo PLC. The name comes from the Latin word for ‘day’ and the Greek word for ‘world’.
2001 – World drinks two billion pints: Almost 2 billion pints of GUINNESS a year were sold around the world and over 1 million pints of GUINNESS a day were sold in Great Britain alone.
2007 – 10 Million glasses of GUINNESS are enjoyed every day: GUINNESS is sold in over 150 countries around the world.
18 Responses to “Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout”
April 21st, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Guinness is also running a contest where 24 winners get free trips to Dublin to attend the anniversary celebration: http://guinnessglobetrotter.com/win-a-trip-for-two-to-dublin-ireland/
April 21st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
There’s a great collection of Guinness based recipe available online at http://www.gigfy.com/recipeds.html
May 8th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Does anyone know where I can buy Guinness 250 in Missouri, or if there is anyway to find out? We had it at a bar, loved it, and now cannot find it for purchase in any of our liquor stores, gas stations, ect. Please let me know.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
A very special toast to a very great brand and to all the support teams in whatever capacity that had been in the last 250 years across the globe. Proud to be a part of this great success.
June 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I love Guinness. But this 250 is simply delicious. I really love the taste. It’s slightly reminiscent of Watneys Red Barrel. I only wish it would remain in production. Guinness should do a TV ad campaign. I think they’d get some converts.
June 14th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I have been drinking Guinness Extra Stout since 1974 and it is still my favorite. The draught version is wonderful as well. Perhaps I got hold of a six pack that had been intentionally abused or somehow tortured. When I tasted the 250 anniversary Guinness, I immediately exclaimed that there was something wrong with this brew. It was thin, acidic, flat (I thought it was supposed to be carbonated?) and not in the same universe as any other Guinness offering. It sort of reminded me of the Coca Cola/New Coke fiasco.
June 14th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Thanks for this feedback.
I’ll have to pick up a 6 pack to compare. In the meantime, feel free to check out some reviews for the Guinness 250:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/guinness-250-anniversary-stout/101769/
Sean
2Beerguys.com
Drink Craft Beer, You’ve Earned It!!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Is the Guinness 250 still available?
July 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I picked up a 6 pack today at my local liquor store for 8.99
August 8th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I’m not a fan. I really enjoy Guinness extra stout so I was very excited to try the 250. My opinion is that it’s too crisp, if that’s possible. It’s tangy to the point it tastes of vinegar to me. To each their own, but this one is not a favorite and I won’t miss it when it’s gone.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
What is the talkability around this 250 years pack? I am yet to see any of such available in Nigeria where the Agency i work for is a BTL partner (Cross Marketing Support) with the brand. The experience gathered over the years by myself and my team can suggest if permitted that this special pack can actually be a huge success here in Nigeria. The adorers of the brand have been very faithful and i can also say that the adopters are increasing as well. The GES team should be able to confirm this. Again i raise my hat on behalf of myself and my team to this great brand. Congratulations!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 12:33 am
It’s September, where can I buy this? I’ve known about it, but I’ve been unable to find it anywhere in TN.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:12 am
You can buy the Guinness 250 at Dan McGuinness in Nashville.
October 4th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Where can I buy he 250 Guinness Beer near St.Louis
Missouri?
December 6th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I have to say that I’m really a fan of the Guinness 250, even after being a Stout fan for years. My wife is even a fan and she doesn’t usually like dark beers. I know it is being offered for a limited time. Does anyone know how limited? I think I need to stock up.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Hello,
I had heard that the promtion for this beer was only a six month deal. They started to sell it on April 24th of 2009, and that would make this sale well over.
Dose any one know if it still available ANYWERE?
I was trying to buy some for my step father for Christmas. Any help would be great. Thanks.
P.S. If it helps any I’m from the Chicago land area.
Yours Truely,
Ms. Sarah S.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:06 am
It’s still being sold at my local dispencery at 5.99 a six. I have been putting away case after case of this stout in reserve. And was just informed tonight by my clerk that they just got another 20 cases this week. The Rum Locker,Homer Alaska.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I think the mediocre reviews of this beer stem from the the fact that it’s a Guinness product. Take off the label, let someone unawares taste it and they’ll be singing a different tune. Not my favorite stout, but it was a nice comma amongst my stout sentence.
still available in some beer shops around columbus ohio, but you have to know where to look.
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