The Guiness Story - The Family The Business The Black Stuff

by Edward J. Bourke

With its distinctively smooth, creamy head, Guinness beer is Ireland’s most famous export. But more than simply a “pint of plain” to be savored, Guinness has a fascinating 250-year-history that centers on a vast Victorian brewery in Dublin; a massive workforce who occupied this industrial complex; an expansive rail, canal, and river transport system; and a family who generated immense wealth from the business.

Filled with more than 100 rare photographs from the company archives, this remarkable book brings to life everything from the early days of the brewery to the Guinness entrepreneurs to how the beer has been made and conveyed.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the St. James’s Gate brewery site that is like a city within itself . . . the luncheons and beer allowance afforded to the staff . . . the fleet of brewery-owned ships, barges, horse-drawn carts, and trucks . . . and the family’s grand estates . . . You’ll also travel back in history to pivotal moments in Guinness history, be it the loss of the first company steamship or the trying times for the brewery during the two World Wars. And if you’re interested in memorabilia, you’ll find that in these pages too: an entire chapter is devoted to labels and advertisements.

So tip back a pint of the black stuff, as it has come to be known, and celebrate the incredible story of Guinness.

Genres: Beer, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Edward J. Bourke is a scientist working at Diageo St James’s Gate Global Beer Technical Centre.

He has an abiding interest in industrial history, especially relating to Ireland, and has published several books on shipwrecks around the Irish coast.
His fascination with the Guinness brewery began at an early age as both his parents and grandparents owned pubs in Dublin.

Reviews

[Wolfgang Delgado]

Interesting facts, written in an uninteresting way. Neato pics though.

[Richard C Walsh]

Enjoyable book and ideal gift for family or friends who are fans of Guinness or irish or industrial history. Parts read like museum info notices and is a quick read but gives a very good overview. If anything feel it could precede a longer more in depth book in future as you get a one sentence story that you feel could be further explored or expanded on. Anyone who reads this will definitely learn at least one thing new or a interesting fact.

[Jim]

A quick, enjoyable read for anyone that's a fan of the black liquidation with the froth on the top. You'll learn about the history of the Guinness family and breweries in Dublin. There are lots of photos showing how brewery operations changed over the years. And there's a fun section at the end discussing various advertising campaigns over the years. Cheers!

[Tasha]

The writing is pretty dry. I've read government pamphlets with more personality. Great pictures, though.

[Valerie McGurk]

Interesting at the start about a family, a business and a dynasty.

[Richard Gombert]

A good overview of the company and the family.