I'm lucky enough to realize it when people can say things better than I can, so when it comes to Guinness, there's no better homage to a pint of the black stuff than what was said by the late Anthony Bourdain:
"There are few articles of faith in my admittedly jaundiced worldview, precious few things that I believe to be right and true and basically unimprovable by man or God. This, however, is one of them: a properly poured beer or ale -- in my case, a hand-cranked Guinness -- in a clean pint glass of correct temperature is God's Own Beverage, a complete and nutritious food source, a thing of beauty to be admired, a force that sweeps away, for a time, all the world's troubles."
We can only wish it had served as a bigger broom for him, but I completely, wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments. Guinness is something that transports you - sip after sip -- to a place of brilliant blackness, only accessible to those who are willing to push through that silky cloud of froth. In a word, it's heaven.
But did you know this?
* It's not really black. In fact, if you look close under just the right light with the perfect amount of transparency, you'll see that Guinness is actually an extremely dark red.
* Guinness is good for you? It's not just an advertising slogan. There are studies that show its antioxidants are good for the heart. It's also not as heavy as you might think. In fact, it has less calories than skim milk -- or pretty much any other non-light beer on the market.
* Speaking of advertising, the Guinness brand is one of the most interesting studies in advertising throughout humanity. From the toucan to their famous slogans, Guinness advertising is goodness.
* They're not going anywhere. When the Guinness family leased the famous St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin for £45 a year, they signed the contract for 9,000 years.
* Go ahead and have one on St. Patty's Day, and you'll be drinking one of more than 13 million served on March 17.
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