Guinness' 250th Anniversary

In the dark days of the 18th century, drinkers looking for a refreshing tipple had the choice between a flagon of muddy ale or a corrosive glug of turps. However, all that would change in 1759, in the Dublin brewery of St James’s Gate, where the most iconic beer in the world was born. Whether or not you’re a fan of the Black Stuff, you’d be hard-pushed to name another drink that has hijacked a national holiday. Or for that matter, a beer that has had a military division named after it. But Guinness is that beer. The holy grail of booze, a full meal in a pint glass, even pouring one is a performance. You could have three pints of gassy cooking lager lined up in the time it takes for your barman to lovingly prepare the perfect Guinness.

Why so popular then? Well probably because it’s always been sold on the back of the best advertising around. Combining a suspiciously loose use of nutritional ‘facts’ (‘Guinness Is Good For You’) with a range of recognisable characters, the marketing bods at Guinness know how to flog their beer. From the old-school posters of both George and the Dragon gluggin’ a pint, to the slick telly spots of the 90s, the adverts are almost as famous as the grog itself. Here we salute some of the most memorable ads in the venerable old drink’s history and raise a toast to 250 years of master brewing…