What do you think?
Rate this book
Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint
A perfectly poured history of the world's greatest beer.
"Joseph Conrad was wrong. The real journey into the Heart of Darkness is recounted within the pages of Bill Yenne's fine book. Guinness (the beer) is a touchstone for brewers and beer lovers the world over. Guinness (the book) gives beer enthusiasts all the information and education necessary to take beer culture out of the clutches of light lagers and back into the dark ages. Cheers!"
-Sam Calagione, owner, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and author of Brewing Up a Business, Extreme Brewing, and Beer or Wine?
"Marvelous! As Bill Yenne embarks on his epic quest for the perfect pint, he takes us along on a magical tour into the depths of all things Guinness. Interweaving the tales of the world's greatest beer and the nation that spawned it, Yenne introduces us to a cast of characters worthy of a dozen novels, a brewery literally dripping with history, and-of course-the one-and-only way to properly pour a pint. You can taste the stout porter on every page."
-Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
"Joseph Conrad was wrong. The real journey into the Heart of Darkness is recounted within the pages of Bill Yenne's fine book. Guinness (the beer) is a touchstone for brewers and beer lovers the world over. Guinness (the book) gives beer enthusiasts all the information and education necessary to take beer culture out of the clutches of light lagers and back into the dark ages. Cheers!"
-Sam Calagione, owner, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and author of Brewing Up a Business, Extreme Brewing, and Beer or Wine?
"Marvelous! As Bill Yenne embarks on his epic quest for the perfect pint, he takes us along on a magical tour into the depths of all things Guinness. Interweaving the tales of the world's greatest beer and the nation that spawned it, Yenne introduces us to a cast of characters worthy of a dozen novels, a brewery literally dripping with history, and-of course-the one-and-only way to properly pour a pint. You can taste the stout porter on every page."
-Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
- GenresNonfictionIrelandHistory
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
7 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Bill Yenne
201 books52 followersBill Yenne is the author of several novels and over three dozen books on historical topics. He has also been a contributor to encyclopedias of both world wars.
The New Yorker wrote of Sitting Bull, his biography of the great Lakota leader, that it "excels as a study in leadership." This book was named to the number 14 spot among Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year.
Library Journal observed that "enthusiastic World War II readers will be drawn to" his dual biography, Aces High: The Heroic Story of the Two Top Scoring American Aces of World War II.
Recently, his book Convair Deltas was named as Book of the Month by Air Classics, while his book Tommy Gun was named Pick of the Month by Shooting Illustrated.
His book Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint was listed among the top business books of the year by Cond Nast Portfolio Magazine, which rated Yenne's tome as its TOP pick for "Cocktail Conversation."
Yenne's Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II, was praised by Walter Boyne, former Director of the National Air & Space Museum, who called it "a fast moving... page turner," and the "best book yet written on the saga."
The Wall Street Journal wrote, when reviewing his Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West, that Yenne writes with "cinematic vividness," and says of his work that it "has the rare quality of being both an excellent reference work and a pleasure to read."
The author lives in San Francisco, California, and on the web at www.BillYenne.com
"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 25, 2009
A good history of Guinness. It shoud be read with "A Pint of Plain," and "Pint-sized Ireland."
Tom
Tom
May 27, 2017
Good beginner's history of the classic brew.
October 19, 2007
Is Guinness the best beer on the planet? Those who consume the two billion pints poured each year around the world would certainly agree that it is. To find the answer, noted beer expert Bill Yenne went to the Guinness Brewery at St. James Gate in the heart of the Hibernian metropolis where Guinness Extra Stout has been brewed since 1759.
Of course, Guinness wouldn’t be Guinness without its creamy crown of foam, but this didn’t start until relatively recently: 1959 to be exact, when Guinness introduced a sophisticated blend of nitrogen and carbon gases to the pour – a process known as nitrogenization – to create the cascade that results in Guinness’ unique and distinctive appearance. Part of the appeal of drinking a pint of Guinness is all the tradition that comes with it; but Yenne’s history reveals that the Guinness family was a forward-thinking clan who encouraged innovation. From building an eighth-mile railway on the property to securing a lease for nine thousand years, time and time again the brewers at St. James Gate demonstrated they were problem solvers who did things their own way.
While some of the early chapters dealing with the personalities behind the gate make for dry reading, Yenne uncovers some fascinating details. For instance who knew that for a brief time Guinness operated a brewery in Long Island, New York? Or that Guinness maintained a fleet of ships and that one of them was torpedoed by a U-boat during the Great War? Or that the Guinness Book of Records, which was created as a promotional giveaway, was at one time the biggest selling copyrighted book in the history of publishing? Or that in the early twentieth century Guinness employed men to travel around the world and report on how their product was being presented and received. Talk about a dream job!
After World War I, Guinness reversed its long-standing refusal to advertise its products with a series of unforgettable campaigns that introduced the phrases, “Guinness is Good for You” and “Guinness for Strength” as well as a menagerie of characters, including the famous toucan. Working for the agency that handled the Guinness account was mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, who is credited with the line “It pays to advertise.” Even Dublin writer James Joyce wanted to get in on the act who, according to Yenne, by volunteering the following tag line: “the free, the flow, the frothy freshener.”
Despite the plethora of trivia collected in Yenne’s history, the book is limited in scope. The materials for Yenne’s book were largely based on an extended trip to the archives at St. James Gate and a series of conversations with the current master brewer. For example, we’re told that there are three Guinness breweries in Africa and another in Malaysia, but aren’t given a glimpse of what they’re like. The third biggest market for Guinness after Ireland and Great Britain is not America but Nigeria, but Yenne makes no effort to describe this phenomenon. It’s simply another curious fact lost in a trove of them.
However, if you’re a lover of Arthur Guinness’ luxurious liquidation who wrongly believes that its made with water from the River Liffey – a myth that is nearly as old as Guinness itself – then Yenne’s history ought to be required reading. At the very least, the fruits of Yenne’s research are guaranteed to make you the best-informed lad or lassie at the pub.
It hardly matters if Guinness is the best. In a market where beer is perceived as being cold, gold and highly carbonated, Guinness is the black sheep of the malted beverage industry. Perhaps a better question is: what would a world without Guinness be like?
Pintless.
Of course, Guinness wouldn’t be Guinness without its creamy crown of foam, but this didn’t start until relatively recently: 1959 to be exact, when Guinness introduced a sophisticated blend of nitrogen and carbon gases to the pour – a process known as nitrogenization – to create the cascade that results in Guinness’ unique and distinctive appearance. Part of the appeal of drinking a pint of Guinness is all the tradition that comes with it; but Yenne’s history reveals that the Guinness family was a forward-thinking clan who encouraged innovation. From building an eighth-mile railway on the property to securing a lease for nine thousand years, time and time again the brewers at St. James Gate demonstrated they were problem solvers who did things their own way.
While some of the early chapters dealing with the personalities behind the gate make for dry reading, Yenne uncovers some fascinating details. For instance who knew that for a brief time Guinness operated a brewery in Long Island, New York? Or that Guinness maintained a fleet of ships and that one of them was torpedoed by a U-boat during the Great War? Or that the Guinness Book of Records, which was created as a promotional giveaway, was at one time the biggest selling copyrighted book in the history of publishing? Or that in the early twentieth century Guinness employed men to travel around the world and report on how their product was being presented and received. Talk about a dream job!
After World War I, Guinness reversed its long-standing refusal to advertise its products with a series of unforgettable campaigns that introduced the phrases, “Guinness is Good for You” and “Guinness for Strength” as well as a menagerie of characters, including the famous toucan. Working for the agency that handled the Guinness account was mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, who is credited with the line “It pays to advertise.” Even Dublin writer James Joyce wanted to get in on the act who, according to Yenne, by volunteering the following tag line: “the free, the flow, the frothy freshener.”
Despite the plethora of trivia collected in Yenne’s history, the book is limited in scope. The materials for Yenne’s book were largely based on an extended trip to the archives at St. James Gate and a series of conversations with the current master brewer. For example, we’re told that there are three Guinness breweries in Africa and another in Malaysia, but aren’t given a glimpse of what they’re like. The third biggest market for Guinness after Ireland and Great Britain is not America but Nigeria, but Yenne makes no effort to describe this phenomenon. It’s simply another curious fact lost in a trove of them.
However, if you’re a lover of Arthur Guinness’ luxurious liquidation who wrongly believes that its made with water from the River Liffey – a myth that is nearly as old as Guinness itself – then Yenne’s history ought to be required reading. At the very least, the fruits of Yenne’s research are guaranteed to make you the best-informed lad or lassie at the pub.
It hardly matters if Guinness is the best. In a market where beer is perceived as being cold, gold and highly carbonated, Guinness is the black sheep of the malted beverage industry. Perhaps a better question is: what would a world without Guinness be like?
Pintless.
July 21, 2017
A little bit of overlap & redundancy with "God & Guinness", but still some great insight on the brewing process, marketing and distribution of the Guinness stout. Good read for any fan of Guinness!
February 7, 2024
I skimmed a lot of it because while it is interesting, Guinness is more fun to drink than read about.
March 25, 2012
This book kept me enthralled throughout.
As the title suggests, it narrates the history of the Guinness Brewery from its foundation in 1759 in Dublin, and through the beginning of the 21st century. The narrative is journeyman-like, so don't expect Simon Winchester or Erik Larson; nonetheless the history is so fascinating that it doesn't need the flourishes of those authors.
Yenne takes us not only through a succession of facts, names, and dates, but also through the passion and spirit that underlies the brewers. Through his book we learn about the family members and their associates that took Guinness from an upstart Irish brewery to a multinational powerhouse, but also delve into the details of the yeasts, the 60 hour fermentation, the roasting of malt, the nitrogenation, and other tidbits that bring to life the art and science that go into a pint of Guinness.
I have to confess that I went out and bought a pack of Guinness which I enjoyed as I read the book. I found it fascinating to recognize the description of the flavoring, the mouth-feel, and the carbonation as I drank my bottle. I was so fascinated by it that for days I would regale anybody within earshot with tidbits about top fermenting lagers vs. bottom fermenting ales and stouts.
Even if you are not fascinated by brewing, you'll find the details of both the product and the develpment of the business highly fascinating.
As the title suggests, it narrates the history of the Guinness Brewery from its foundation in 1759 in Dublin, and through the beginning of the 21st century. The narrative is journeyman-like, so don't expect Simon Winchester or Erik Larson; nonetheless the history is so fascinating that it doesn't need the flourishes of those authors.
Yenne takes us not only through a succession of facts, names, and dates, but also through the passion and spirit that underlies the brewers. Through his book we learn about the family members and their associates that took Guinness from an upstart Irish brewery to a multinational powerhouse, but also delve into the details of the yeasts, the 60 hour fermentation, the roasting of malt, the nitrogenation, and other tidbits that bring to life the art and science that go into a pint of Guinness.
I have to confess that I went out and bought a pack of Guinness which I enjoyed as I read the book. I found it fascinating to recognize the description of the flavoring, the mouth-feel, and the carbonation as I drank my bottle. I was so fascinated by it that for days I would regale anybody within earshot with tidbits about top fermenting lagers vs. bottom fermenting ales and stouts.
Even if you are not fascinated by brewing, you'll find the details of both the product and the develpment of the business highly fascinating.
July 25, 2014
A fine history of Guinness. While it bogged down at the beginning, I did find (after the fact) that there was family tree of sorts by generation in the appendices, which would have made a difference. But I did learn a lot and quickly went through the parts related directly to the beer.
September 18, 2011
Great Book
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews