Guinness beer is one of the most successful beer brands in the world. It uses a right facing image of the Harp as its symbol. Guinness beer has been brewed at St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin since 1759. The beer has a dark colour which is caused by roasting a portion of the barley used in its brewing process. Mixing the beer with nitrogen as it is poured causes its creamy head. Almost a billion litres of Guinness are sold in Ireland and in countries around the world every year.
Guinness was founded by Arthur Guinness. In 1759 he signed a 9,000 year lease on the St James’s Gate site which was then an unused brewery. Beer has been brewed at the site down through the centuries. By 1900 the Guinness brewery was the largest in the world and was selling beer as far away as Australia. Today Guinness continues to be brewed in Dublin and is also brewed in 51 other countries. The Guinness Hop Store at St James’s gate in Dublin is a major tourist attraction.
The 14th century harp, which is on display in the Long Room of Dublin’s Trinity College Library, has been the national symbol of Ireland for centuries. The harp is known both as the Trinity College Harp and as Brian Boru’s Harp. In 1862 Benjamin Guinness adopted a right facing version of the harp as the Guinness motif. The firm registered their version of the harp as a trademark in 1875.
Guinness adopted a right facing image of the harp as its symbol in the year 1862 On This Day.
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