Have you found yourself wondering how much alcohol is in Guinness? Perhaps this beer brand is one of your favorites and you want to know exactly how much alcohol you are consuming?
No matter the question that brought you here today, we have the answers for you!
Guinness has established itself as a popular beer around the world, drunk in Britain, Ireland, America, and Canada, to name a few, but do we know how much alcohol we are consuming when we drink Guinness?
Let’s be real, most of us don’t check the units or percentage listed, we just know we love it, so we order one…and maybe another few.
But, if like us, you can’t help but wonder, then keep reading! Today we will be walking you through everything you need to know about the alcohol content in Guinness!
An Overview Of Guinness
Before we dive into it, let’s step back and have a quick look at the history of Guinness. It was first brewed in 1759 and you can still see this date printed on Guinness labels since then.
Guinness was created by Arthur Guinness who invested a £100 inheritance in a brewery in Leixlip, a town west of Dublin.
After a few years, Guinness moved to St James’ Gate, a now-famous location, where he began to brew Guinness. It took ten years before it was exported to Britain, with three beers brewed, Porter, stroud, and Double Stout.
Foreign Stout was added later and exported to Britain. It took no time at all for Guinness to become incredibly popular and a staple drink in both Ireland and Britain!
When we look at how intertwined Guinness is with Irish history and culture, it can be surprising to learn that Arthur Guinness was himself a pro-unionist protestant.
These beliefs he held were an integral part of the Guinness business and production, to the point where if a Guinness worker wanted to marry a Catholic, they were required to hand in their resignation!
Guinness didn’t start hiring Catholic workers until the 1960s!
Despite this unfavorable part of Guinness’ history, it has remained a firm favorite and become a part of Ireland’s culture and traditions.
Foreign dignitaries are almost always seen with a pint of Guinness in their hands when they visit Ireland or caught pouring themselves a pint at the Guinness experience in Dublin.
Everyone from foreign political workers to the British Royal Family has enjoyed the taste of Guinness, we wonder what Arthur Guinness would have thought of that?
How Much Alcohol Is In Guinness?
Let’s get straight into it! A pint of Guinness has between 4.1 and 4.3% of alcohol. Now, as there are a few different types of Guinness, each of these has a different percentage. Let’s take a look at these now!
- Guinness Draft – 4.2% (average)
- Original Guinness – 4.2% (UK) and 4.3% (IRE)
- Extra Stout – 5.6%
- Foreign Extra Stout – 7.5%
It is worth noting that the percentages can differ from country to country, and the recipe changes too!
So it’s always best to check the percentage stated before you purchase any Guinness. It will either be on the bottle or can, or listed on the pump in your local bar.
The percentage of alcohol in the UK is different from that in Ireland, Canada, or America.
You can expect an average of 4.2% though. As we said, you can check this easily when ordering your Guinness or purchasing some at a store.
How Many Calories Are In Guinness?
Many of us can forget that there are calories in drinks too, especially when it comes to alcohol! But they are there, and it’s worth knowing what they are.
Whether you are counting calories or not, it’s always good to have a rough idea of what you are putting in your body.
Just like the percentage of alcohol, the number of calories in Guinness will vary depending on the type of Guinness and where you are purchasing it.
Roughly, a pint of Guinness will have 210 calories and a bottle is nearly half of that at 125 calories.
For those who purchase Guinness by the can, they have 155 calories in. compared to other alcoholic beverages out there, the calories in Guinness aren’t that high. Still, it’s worth knowing the calorie content.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, Guinness has roughly 4.2% alcohol in it. The amount does vary depending on the type of Guinness and where you are drinking it, but 4.2% is a good average to follow.
Remember to check the label before purchasing your Guinness to see the exact percentage and calorie breakdown.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed researching them!
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