GUINNESS® DRAUGHT
We welcome our first dark beer to We Like Tall Boys! As one often does, I found myself in the Trader Joe’s beer section constructing my own 6-pack. The advertiser within me was drawn to the very colorful, simplistic, and charming design of this can, which I was surprised contained Guinness.
I zoomed home on my trusty bicycle and hopped on the internet to find what was going on with this monkey-sloth thing.
The artist’s name is John Gilroy, a British artist that made advertising campaigns for Guinness from 1928 to the 1960s. His campaigns communicated the wholesomeness of Guinness, consumed and celebrated by zoo animals (“My Goodness, My Guinness”) and hard workers (“A Guinness a Day” and “Guinness For Strength”).
This advertising rabbit hole brought me back to reality with an article saying that 2018 marks the 200th blessed year of Guinness’ relationship with the United States. The fluffy friend on the can is actually a kinkajou, not a sloth, which according to Google is “ an arboreal nocturnal fruit-eating mammal with a prehensile tail and a long tongue, found in the tropical forests of Central and South America” and it is definitely not as cute in real life.
ONWARDS TO DRINKING.
Beer Name: Guinness® Draught
City and Country of Origin: Dublin, Ireland
Year Created: 1759
ABV: 4.2%
Cost: $1.75 for a tall boy, $6.99 for a 4-pack
Taste: Guinness tastes like the dark chocolate cocoa version of a Willy Wonka waterfall. After reading the instruction on the can after my initial sip, the brewers suggest that Guinness is best consumed after pouring into a tall glass “tilted at 45 degrees, until it is three-quarters full.” I watched the little bubbles cascade up and down the glass until the excitement settled and I continued to enjoy this frothy chocolaty beer. Is this even beer? It tastes like a nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee without any tartness at all.
How Do I Feel? The first time I had a Guinness was with a friend who was on a total Guinness rampage for a bit. I remembered that it was intimidating and seemed like a higher class beer. Maybe because of the black can and gold lettering? Maybe because my Dad told me that in Ireland they stamp clovers into the head of each pint?
Now I feel more enlightened and less intimidated about Guinness. Natalie and I talk about our distaste for darker beers all the time. Today, I find myself reconsidering the realm of dark beers. What else am I missing out on?
When To Drink Guinness Draught? After reading all those articles on advertising saying that Guinness is a good beverage to drink before doing some heavy lifting, when you’re going to the zoo, or having a seafood (so many diverse and specific situations!), I am trying to think when I myself would have a drink like this. I’d probably have a Guinness as a refreshing end-of-the-day cold drink without a meal. It’s a standalone feature, just like the works of art adorning the collectible cans.
Hopefully I’ll get to raise a pint of Guinness on my upcoming trip to Ireland. Maybe the bartenders will even stamp a clover in it.
Overall Rating: 8/10 This was a solid experience for me. I have no regrets. I would do it again. It’s not my top beer of choice because it’s not as versatile as other beers and it’s not something I would order at a restaurant. You have to be in a “Just Guinness” mindset when drinking this, which is cool and special, but I’m not sure that will happen super often with me. I would recommend that beer drinkers that have their doubts about dark beers give Guinness a try!
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What should we drink next? Hit a comment below or let us know wherever you can find us on the internet. Until next time, friends…
Cheers,
Erin
