Guinness, the national drink of Ireland, was originally brewed by Arthur Guinness in his first brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare. It later moved to its present home at St James's Gate in Dublin, in 1759. Based on the porter style founded in 18th century London, it became one of the most successful beer brands in the world. The distinctive feature in the flavour is the roasted barley which remains unfermented. The beer is also famous for its thick creamy head, which is the result of the beer being mixed with nitrogen when being served. In 1769 Arthur Guinness exported his ale for the first time, when six and a half barrels were shipped to England. Guinness started selling the dark beer porter in 1778. The first Guinness beers to use the term stout were Single Stout and Double Stout in the 1840's. Guinness brewed their last porter in 1974. In 1986 Guinness acquired the Distillers Company before going on to merge with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo plc in 1997. Guinness stout is made from water, malt, barley, hops, brewer's yeast and is treated with isinglass made from fishes' air bladders, although Guinness has claimed that this fining's material is unlikely to remain in the finished product. The dark colour comes from a portion of the barley being steamed and rolled before being roasted to give Guinness its dark colour and characteristic taste. Researchers claim that antioxidant compounds found in Guinness, similar to those found in fruit and vegetables, can result in health benefits for the heart, helping to reduce harmful cholesterol deposits on the artery walls. Guinness ran an advertising campaign in the 1920's - "Guinness is Good for You" but they were told to stop using the slogan decades ago-and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink. Guinness is also said to help the body replenish lost blood. When people used to donate blood in Ireland, it is said they were given a pint of blood afterwards. This is supposedly due to its iron content.
