Guinness Master Brewer, Fergal Murray, pouring a pint of Guinness
Next Saturday, people all across Europe are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with an estimated 10 million pints and bottles of Guinness being raised across the continent. The festivities being held simultaneously in more than 40 countries -- from Ireland to Russia -- purport to be one of the largest single one-day celebration in European history.
An estimated 8 million people will celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day in every major city in Europe. In Ireland, the home of Guinness’ St. James Gate Brewery, celebrations will commence with Dublin’s world-renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Additionally, parades and festivals will occur all over Europe from Munich to Moscow and with Guinness at the heart of many celebrations and events.
“Guinness is recognized the world over for its Irish heritage, and we are proud of our role in promoting the Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day as it continues to be adopted by various countries and cultures across the world,” said Fergal Murray, Guinness Master Brewer.
Guinness Draught can currently be enjoyed in more than 40 countries across Europe, and thanks to a new innovation called the Guinness Surger, more than 7,000 new venues (bars, cafes) can offer great Guinness to their patrons.
Over the years, St. Patrick's Day has become both a celebration of Irish culture and heritage, as well as a religious holiday celebrating the life of the saint. The first celebration begins in Australia with Guinness festivities around the country and a parade in Sydney. In the United States, where more than 35 million people claim Irish ancestry, over 100 cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest being in New York City where over one million spectators are on hand to celebrate. In the US Guinness will be hosting the world’s biggest toast event leading into St. Patrick’s Day.
Guinness is imported, marketed and distributed in Malta by Wands Limited, a subsidiary company of the Farsons Group of Companies.
St. Patrick’s Day Fact Sheet
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10 million pints of Guinness are enjoyed every single day across the globe.
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Arthur Guinness started brewing the famous stout in Dublin, Ireland in 1759 after signing a 9,000-year lease for the unused brewery for 45 pounds annually. Today Guinness is sold in more than 150 countries.
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Guinness is served in 150 countries around the world and 40 countries in the continent from Ireland across to Russia.
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The first recorded celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in North America was in Boston in 1737.
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The St. James’ Gate Brewery in Dublin Ireland now produces 810 million pints per year, or 2.22 million pints a day to keep up with global demand.
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A pint of Guinness actually has fewer calories than a pint of one per cent milk or orange juice!
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Guinness discovered Irish supergroup U2! The band was discovered at a Guinness sponsored talent search in Dublin in 1977.
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Other Guinness lovers among the Hollywood set include Matt Damon, Colin Farrell and Gwyneth Paltrow.
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The Irish word for shamrock is ‘seamrog’ (pron. Sham-rogue) and has been the symbol of ‘Irishness’ since the 16th century when Irish Rebels adopted it as a symbol of their cause of freedom from British rule.
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A pub in Frankfurt, Germany called O'Dwyers actually serves up free Guinness whenever a U2 song is played. So if you're in Frankfurt, hit O'Dwyer's and request a U2 song!
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The biggest annual parade occurs every year in New York City where it has been a feature of Fifth Avenue celebrations since 1762.
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The city of Chicago has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by dyeing its river green since 1962!
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The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is Ireland’s number one visitor attraction, having welcomed more than one million people through its doors in just two years. A shrine to all-things-Guinness, the Storehouse has a now-famous circular bar with spectacular 360-degree views of Dublin.