Is Guinness English? Head brewer copied London's porters, expert says

"Head brewer and founder Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) created his famous dark beer in the 1770s after exports of the so-called London 'porter' proved a hit in Dublin and beyond. So Guinness - famed for its robust malty sweetness - is arguably returning to its true home as the firm opens a new brewery in Covent Garden this week. 'Historically, the development of porter and stronger stouts originated with the English brewers,' Dr Purinton told the Daily Mail."

"'The name porter comes from the popularity of the strong-flavored dark beer with London porters who carried goods around London. 'Arthur Guinness started brewing porter in 1778 in competition with London porter imports to gain more market share in the Dublin market. 'The locals wanted porter.' It was in 1759 during a financial crisis that Celbridge-born Irishman Arthur Guinness -the first in a long line of master brewers - moved to Dublin."

Guinness's signature dark beer emerged from the 18th-century London porter tradition rather than being an exclusively Irish invention. Arthur Guinness began brewing porter in Dublin in the 1770s to compete with imported London porters that had become popular with local drinkers. Early Guinness production at St. James's Gate featured lighter brown ales before shifting to porter and stout styles. The London brewing boom around Covent Garden and houses such as Combe & Co., Whitbread, Thrale, and Parsons drove porter exports to Ireland. Arthur Guinness secured a 9,000-year lease at St. James's Gate in 1759 and adapted brewing to meet market demand.

Read at Mail Online