Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint

By Bill Yenne

A perfectly poured history of the world's greatest beer.

"Joseph Conrad was wrong. The real journey into the Heart of Darkness is recounted within the pages of Bill Yenne's fine book. Guinness (the beer) is a touchstone for brewers and beer lovers the world over. Guinness (the book) gives beer enthusiasts all the information and education necessary to take beer culture out of the clutches of light lagers and back into the dark ages. Cheers!"
-Sam Calagione, owner, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and author of Brewing Up a Business, Extreme Brewing, and Beer or Wine?

"Marvelous! As Bill Yenne embarks on his epic quest for the perfect pint, he takes us along on a magical tour into the depths of all things Guinness. Interweaving the tales of the world's greatest beer and the nation that spawned it, Yenne introduces us to a cast of characters worthy of a dozen novels, a brewery literally dripping with history, and-of course-the one-and-only way to properly pour a pint. You can taste the stout porter on every page."
-Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470120525
• ISBN13: 9780470120521
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The perfect pint, the perfect book!

I just love the cover! How often does one wait for a writer to confirm what we already know. I knew Guinness beer was magical, and Author Bill Yenne confirms it in his new book. This easy read is a must for anyone with an interest in beer, or the Guinness company. "Guinness" takes you from the simple beginnings of Guinness brewing at St. James Gate in Dublin, Ireland, through it's 250 year history. Read about the Guinness brewing family, and their relationship to beer and modern Irish history. Consider the observations of the Guinness world "Travelers" of 100 years ago, and the rattly thing in today's can of Guinness, simply called a "widget". This was a fun book for me. I must admit, I believe in the perfect pint, and this seems like the perfect book.

The best book on the best beer in the world

As Yenne says in this wonderful book, "Whenever someone asks me to name my favorite beer, I tell them, "The one I have in my hand right now.' But when they ask me what is the GREATEST beer, I have to say 'Guinness'". It's a subtle distinction, but one whose import becomes clear through this amazing tale. For example, what other brand of beer (or brand of *anything* for that matter) can claim a 250 year pedigree, has been a staple of the Royal Army's "critical" supply chain around the globe for centuries, owned it's own railroad AND shipping line, treats malaria as well as the common cold (allegedly, but who's checking?), AND comes from the same family as the Guinness Book of World Records? I knew none of these things before picking up this book (except how much I loved Guinness). Now I know enough to make my trips to the local pub not only gastronomically satisfying, but culturally and intellectually satisfying as well.

A highly recommended book!

Bill Yenne's Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint is a superb read. Yenne looks at the storied history of Guinness and gives the reader a tour from the beginning, helping one to appreciate the long history and wild international success of a beer, but a brand, as well. Guinness uniquely stands as one of the most interesting companies in existance today. Yenne takes the reader through the history, but also delivers important facts about how the beer is produced, about the technology involved, and the personalities that helped shape a lasting legacy. If you are a beer fan, and most particularly if you are a fan of Guinness (and who isn't?), then this book is for you! In fact, I recommend reading it as you are sipping a Guinness. Doing so will help you digest a great book!

This year's Christmas present

After reading this book, I am planning on it being my signature gift for the holidays! It will make a great stocking stuffer for my beer drinking friends. And a good gift for my brother-in-laws who have everything!

Finally!

I was excited to see a book about Guinness that goes inside of St James Gate and tells the tail of how it all came to be. How much fun would that be to go through all the old records and see how it once was? I enjoyed Bill Yenne's book a great deal. I want to see it from the inside and that's what this book does for me. It was an easy read and I now feel ready for my trip to Dublin!!