The Oldest Beer: Guinness's Historical Journey

Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world, with written references to it dating back to around the 5th millennium BCE. The earliest commercial breweries emerged in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia around 2500 BCE. While Guinness is one of the most iconic beers of Ireland, it is not the oldest beer in the world. The St. James's Gate Brewery, which is home to Guinness, was founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness. On the other hand, the oldest brewery in the world is the Weihenstephan Brewery in Bavaria, Germany, which began brewing beer in 1040.

Guinness is not the oldest beer

Guinness, brewed at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, is a relatively young beer compared to other brews around the world. The St. James's Gate Brewery was founded in 1759, over 7,000 years after humans first started making beer.

Written references to beer date back to around 5000 BC, when it was mentioned as part of the daily wages of workers at the Temple of Erech in Mesopotamia. Physical evidence of beer from around 3500 BC was discovered in a jug in Godin Tepe, Iran, in 1973.

While Guinness has a long history, with the brewery celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2009, it is far from the oldest beer in the world. Here are some breweries older than Guinness:

• Weihenstephan Brewery, founded in 1040 in Bavaria, Germany, is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. It was born within the Weihenstephan Abbey and was secularized in 1803.
• Weltenburg Abbey Brewery in Kelheim, Germany, was founded in 1050. The monastery was initially established around 620 and is considered the oldest in Bavaria. The abbey has been rebuilt several times, with the current buildings dating back to the early 18th century.
• Affligem Brewery in Opwijk, Belgium, was established in 1070, with monks starting to brew Affligem beer a decade later.
• Bolten Brewery in Korschenbroich, Germany, has been brewing Altbier since 1266.
• Augustiner-Bräu in Munich, Germany, was first mentioned in 1328. It was founded by Augustinian Hermits who built a brewery outside of Munich near their monastery.
• Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co. in Cologne, Germany, was founded in 1302, according to public records.

These breweries have stood the test of time, continuing to produce beers that have been consumed for hundreds of years. While Guinness may be iconic, especially in Ireland, it cannot claim the title of the oldest beer.

The history of Guinness

Guinness is a stout that originated in the 18th century at St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland. The company was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness, who signed a 9,000-year lease for the brewery at an annual rent of £45. At first, Guinness brewed a variety of ales and beers, but from 1799, the company focused exclusively on porter, a dark beer with a rich head. This beer later became known as stout.

Arthur Guinness was a philanthropist, pragmatist, innovator, family man, and fighter. He was the first in a long line of Guinness Master Brewers, and his passion for brewing likely stemmed from his father, Richard, who was in charge of brewing at the Celbridge estate of Dr. Arthur Price.

Guinness became the largest brewery in Ireland in 1838 and the largest in the world by 1886, with an annual output of 1.2 million barrels. The company pioneered several quality control efforts, including the hiring of the statistician William Sealy Gosset in 1899, who developed techniques such as Student's t-distribution and the Student's t-test.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the brewery owned most of the buildings in the surrounding area, including streets of housing for employees and offices. The company also provided unprecedented employee benefits, such as paid annual holidays, free meals, annual excursions, and a beer allowance. In 1886, Guinness became a public company and was valued at £6 million, with shares 20 times oversubscribed.

Guinness's sales soared, and by 1900 the brewery was operating unparalleled welfare schemes for its 5,000 employees, costing £40,000 a year. During World War I, over 800 Guinness employees served in the British forces, with soldiers' families receiving half wages and jobs guaranteed upon their return.

In 1932, Guinness moved its headquarters to London due to the Irish Free State's "Control of Manufactures Act". The company continued to expand, acquiring distillers and merging with Grand Metropolitan in 1997 to form Diageo plc, a multinational alcoholic beverage company.

Today, Guinness is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries and available in over 120. It is the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland, where Guinness & Co. makes almost €2 billion annually. The distinctive black liquid has had a special place in the hearts of African consumers for almost two centuries, and about 40% of worldwide Guinness volume is brewed and sold on the continent.

The oldest breweries in the world

Beer is one of the world's oldest drinks, with written records of it dating back to ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations in the 5th millennium BCE. The earliest commercial breweries emerged from these civilisations around 2500 BCE.

While none of the breweries on this list are quite that old, they are all centuries-old and still running.

Weihenstephan Brewery, Germany

The Weihenstephan Brewery is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. It began in 725 when Saint Corbinian established a Benedictine monastery in Weihenstephan. In 1040, their beer brewing became official when Abbot Arnold obtained a license to brew and sell beer.

Weltenburg Abbey Brewery, Germany

The Weltenburg Abbey Brewery was founded in 1050 and is considered the oldest monastery in Bavaria. The abbey was rebuilt several times and the current buildings date back to the early 18th century. The monks began selling beer in 1050 and continue to do so today.

Affligem Brewery, Belgium

The Affligem Brewery was established in 1070 and a decade later its monks began brewing Affligem beer. The brewery has had a tumultuous history, being invaded by troops in the 14th century, destroyed in 1580, and forced to shut down in 1794. It reopened in 1885 and has been operating ever since.

Augustiner-Bräu, Germany

Augustiner-Bräu was founded in 1328 by Augustinian Hermits who built a brewery outside of Munich, Germany, near their monastery. The monks consumed a portion of the beer while selling the rest tax-free for profit.

Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co., Germany

Gaffel Becker & Co. traces its history to 1302 when the first breweries on Eigelstein Street in Cologne, Germany, were entered into public record. The modern Gaffel brewery stands on the same street and is owned and operated by the fifth generation of the Becker family.

Bolten Brewery, Germany

The Bolten Brewery is the oldest Altbier brewery in the world, producing the top-fermented German beer since 1266. The small brewery has passed down its traditional techniques, recipes, and quality from generation to generation and is determined to remain small and independent.

Hubertus Brewery, Austria

The Hubertus Brewery was founded in 1454 in Laa an der Thaya, Austria. The city leaders sought a brewing license to revive the economy after a challenging decade, and it was finally awarded to them by Ladislaus Posthumus, Duke of Austria, King of Bohemia and Hungary. In exchange for the license, the King asked for a barrel of beer on all high holidays.

Stiegl Brewery, Austria

Founded in 1492, the Stiegl Brewery was the favourite beer of Mozart.

Grolsch Brewery, Netherlands

The Grolsch Brewery has been brewing its iconic lager since 1615 and is the third-largest brewer in the Netherlands.

Smithwick's Brewery, Ireland

Ireland's oldest brewery, Smithwick's has been brewing beer since 1710. Their strong ale is a must-have beverage when visiting Ireland.

St. James's Gate Brewery, Ireland

The St. James's Gate Brewery was founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness. It became the largest brewery in Ireland in 1838 and the largest in the world by 1886. It is now the largest brewer of stout.

Stepan Razin Brewery, Russia

No other brewery in Russia is as old as the Stepan Razin Brewery, which was founded in 1795. The brewery has a hilarious history museum that is well worth a visit.

The history of beer

Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world, with evidence of its existence dating back to around the 5th millennium BCE. The earliest commercial breweries emerged in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia around 2500 BCE.

The St. James's Gate Brewery, founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness, is the home of Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, formed from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997.

While Guinness is one of the most iconic beers of Ireland, it is not the oldest brewery in the country. That title goes to Smithwick's Brewery in Kilkenny, which has been brewing beer since 1710.

The oldest brewery in the world is the Weihenstephan Brewery in Bavaria, Germany, which began brewing beer in 1040. The brewery was established within the Weihenstephan Abbey, and the monks at the monastery began brewing beer around 768 as there was a hop garden in the vicinity. The Waltenburg Brewery in Germany also disputes the claim, having started brewing only ten years later.

The most popular beers in the world

Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in the world, with global sales reaching $661 billion in 2018, according to a study by Euromonitor International. It is also one of humanity's oldest drinks, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BCE.

Some of the oldest breweries in the world include the Weihenstephan Brewery in Germany, which began brewing beer in 1040, and the Weltenburg Abbey Brewery, also in Germany, which started brewing only ten years later.

When it comes to the most popular beers in the world, here is a list of some of the top contenders:

• Guinness: This Irish stout, brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin since 1759, is one of the world's most successful beer brands. It is particularly popular with Irish people both in Ireland and abroad and is the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland.
• Budweiser: This American-style lager, brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev, is sold in over 80 countries and is known for its crisp and light taste. It is one of the most valuable beer brands in the world.
• Tsingtao: Originating from China and brewed since 1903, Tsingtao is now available in over 100 countries. It is made with rice, giving it a unique flavour profile.
• Snow: Snow is a Chinese lager and the best-selling beer in the world by volume. It has a loyal following in its home country due to its light and refreshing taste.
• Bud Light: The lighter version of Budweiser, Bud Light is incredibly popular in the United States, where it is the best-selling beer. It is known for being low in calories and carbohydrates.
• Skol: This Brazilian lager was introduced in 1967 and has since expanded to over 20 countries. It is known for its crisp and smooth taste and is often marketed as "the beer that goes down round."
• Heineken: Heineken is a Dutch pale lager sold in over 170 countries. It is known for its signature green bottle and red star logo, as well as its refreshing taste. Heineken has been named the world's most valuable beer brand.
• Harbin: Harbin is another Chinese beer, brewed with rice and water from the Songhua River. It has a clean and mild flavour and is popular among beer drinkers.
• Yanjing: Named after its city of origin, Beijing, Yanjing is a premium Chinese beer known for its light and crisp taste. It is sold in over 30 countries worldwide.
• Corona Extra: This Mexican pale lager has become a popular choice around the world, known for its light and refreshing taste. It is often served with a wedge of lime.
• Coors Light: The second best-selling beer in the United States, Coors Light is a light beer brewed with Rocky Mountain water. It is popular among sports fans for its clean and crisp taste.

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