Happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you’re cracking open a Guinness today, why not zhush it up and turn it into a cocktail? Today, we’re showing you two easy-peasy ways to add some sparkle to your St. Paddy’s pint.
But first, let’s test your knowledge of the world’s most famous stout!
1. Arthur Guinness founded Guinness in 1759, renting an old, run-down brewery in Dublin. He was so sure of his future success that he signed the lease for how many years?
A. 50 years
B. 100 years
C. 500 years
D. 9000 years
2. The Black Velvet cocktail, a combination of Guinness and champagne, was
created in response to what event?
A. The release of Dior’s Diorama Black Velvet handbag in 2015
B. The release of the Black Velvet film in 2011
C. The release of Alannah Myles’s “Black Velvet” song in 1989
D. The death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, in 1861
3. In 1929, Guinness started getting creative with their advertising. Their first
slogan was what?
A. Guinness Gives You Wings
B. Guinness is Good for You
C. Guinness: It’s What’s for Dinner
D. Got Guinness?
4. In 1959, in celebration of the company’s 200th anniversary, Guinness pulled
what publicity stunt?
A. Dropping 150,000 bottles into the Atlantic Ocean
B. Burying a bottle of Guinness in Alaska, when it was admitted as the
49th US state
C. In conjunction with the introduction of the first Barbie doll, releasing a
limited-edition Barbie drinking a Guinness
D. During the first Grammy awards ceremony, giving a Guinness
alongside a trophy to all of the winners
5. The Guinness Book of World Records was inspired by Guinness Beer.
A. True
B. False
Answers are below, following the recipes!
Black Velvet
Chilled Guinness beer
Chilled dry champagne
Fill a tall glass halfway with cold Guinness. Top with chilled champagne, poured over the back of a spoon. Sip & enjoy!
Half and Half
Chilled Guinness beer
Chilled pale ale
In a pint glass, quickly pour the pale ale until the glass is half full with a large foam head. Slowly pour the chilled Guinness over the back of a spoon so that it gently rests on top of the ale. You should have two lovely layers of beer with a distinct line between them. Even if it doesn’t work as planned, drink it anyway, ‘cause it’s delicious!
Answers:
1. D – 9000 years! Now that’s confidence!
2. D – The death of Prince Albert. A London bar created the cocktail, because “even champagne must reflect the city’s black mood,” so they
combined Guinness with bubbles. The silver lining to the dark day is
that we got this yummy cocktail.
3. B – Guinness is Good for You. And that campaign was a hit, running for
40 years…until new advertising restrictions put the kibosh on it.
4. A – Dropping 150,000 bottles into the Atlantic Ocean. According to
Guinness: The bottles contain some unusual documents, namely a colorful
certificate from ‘the Office of King Neptune,’ a booklet recounting the
story of Guinness, a special gold-colored Guinness Stout label and
even instructions on how to turn the bottle into a table lamp.
5. A – True. In the 1950s, the managing director of Guinness Beer got into
an argument in a pub about the fastest game bird in Europe, but
couldn’t find the answer anywhere. He later recalled this argument and
had the idea for promoting the beer with a “book of facts and figures”
to settle pub arguments.