STOUTHEARTED BREW

For more than 200 years, Guinness has stood as heady representative of Emerald Isle

Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2005

FEATURES - FOOD 01E

By Nicholas Gill

FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

On average, according to guinness.com, one Irish pub opens every day somewhere in the world.

At each, one beer most assuredly is on tap: Guinness, also known as black gold, black food, liquid cereal and pavement.

The dark stout is Ireland's largest export and the world's most widely distributed beer, says its Web site.

It remains the one product synonymous with Ireland -- and, thus, the drink of choice on St. Patrick's Day at Irish pubs around the globe.

''It is truly Irish, a refreshing sip of the green valleys, the stone walls and the salt air of the Emerald Isle, sitting on a barstool in a thatch-roofed pub with the sweet smell of a turf fire while the auld ones sing songs of their heroes and lost loves,'' said Pat Byrne, owner of Byrne's Pub, 1248 W. 3rd Ave.

The beer consists of four primary ingredients: Irish barley (roasted and malted), hops, yeast and water.

''The unique Guinness brewing process of making a stout by using extra hop for a more bitter flavor and roasted barley for the color is unique in the world,'' said Fergal Murray, global brewmaster for Guinness.

Guinness dates from 1759, when a 34-year-old Arthur Guinness relocated to Dublin, Ireland, from County Kildare and bought a run-down, 4-acre brewery at St. James Gate on the River Liffey.

Thirsty for a deal and confident of his brewing skills, he signed a 9,000-year lease on the site, at a rate of 45 pounds a year.

The brewery produced ale for Dubliners for more than a decade, but it enjoyed greater success after introducing a drink that used roasted barley aged in a single barrel.

By 1779, the stronger ''porter'' was being exported to London, and the brewery stopped brewing ale altogether. Within three decades, the brewery was the largest in Ireland; by the mid-1880s, it was one of the largest in the world.

The same brewery site is still used; its present-day 64 acres stand like a city in the heart of Dublin. The Guinness museum walks visitors through the beer-making process, rewarding each visitor of age with a creamy pint.

Guinness is sold in 150 countries worldwide and brewed in 51 countries -- including a Mount Everest brewery that supplies beer to more than 130 bars in Katmandu, Nepal.

But all Guinness served in North America comes from the St. James site, so each pint should taste the same as one enjoyed in Dublin, Kilkenny or Waterford.

''The important thing about serving Guinness is the pour,'' said Byrne, an Irish-American. ''It is not a thing that can be hurried.''

And it requires a proper pint glass and patience, he said.

Guinness should never be poured from a pitcher; ''It loses all of its character,'' Byrne said.

He charges $299 for a pitcher at his pub: $13 for the beer plus a $286 penalty. (But don't worry; barkeeps won't sell it by the pitcher.)

''The correct pour won't make a difference in taste, but it will give you the perfect-looking pint and the perfect experience,'' said Murray of Guinness.

''Delivering the beer through the draught system gives you the right conditions for the 'surge' and the perfect pint,'' he said. ''By pouring from a pitcher, you're diminishing the perfect pour. There's nothing wrong with the taste, but you won't have the perfect experience.''

In addition to being enjoyed as a drink, the creamy-flavored beer is ideal as a cooking ingredient.

''We use it as a major component in cooking Irish stew and a number of other dishes, like Guinness cheese and Guinness chocolate,'' Murray said. ''As a flavor, it can be added to any recipe, but especially stews.''

And it's not limited to pubs and their casual fare.

''We use it in ganaches for chocolates (truffles),'' said Lisa Mortimer, pastry sous chef at Tru in Chicago and a former Columbus resident. ''It pairs nicely with dark bitter chocolate.''

In addition to sweets, Mortimer said, the restaurant also offers a Guinness-based cheese called Cahills, from Limerick, Ireland.

''After the curds are cooked, they are pressed with Guinness,'' she said. ''It's a delicious, full-flavored cheese.''

From cooking to drinking, Guinness fans find favor with the black brew.

''I appreciate a good Irish beer,'' said Scott Willoughby, 31, of Columbus. ''There's a misconception about how heavy it is. It's just a smooth beer.''

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