Daily Mail, December 2025
It’s one of Ireland’s most famous exports – but the world–famous Guinness may owe its whole existence to England. That’s according to Dr Malcolm Purinton, a beer historian at Northeastern University, who says the Guinness beer style was actually invented in London in the 18th century.
Head brewer and founder Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) created his famous dark beer in the 1770s after exports of the so–called London ‘porter’ proved a hit in Dublin and beyond. So Guinness – famed for its robust malty sweetness – is arguably returning to its true home as the firm opens a new brewery in Covent Garden this week. ‘Historically, the development of porter and stronger stouts originated with the English brewers,’ Dr Purinton told the Daily Mail.
