It’s official! This time last year, The Fedex man delivered an envelope containing my Proof of Irish Citizenship. After two years of paperwork and forms, I am an Irish Citizen! Whoo Hoo! Perfect timing for Saint Patrick’s Day. On my first of many trips to Ireland: October 1996. My sister and I decided to forgo the more tourist heavy attractions like kissing the germ covered Blarney Stone. Instead we opted for two more poignant, not so touristy attractions from the advice of Rónán – our good friend and local Dubliner. First we hopped a train down the coast on our search for Bono, to The Queens in Dalkey Village, rumored to be a favorite local hangout to Bono – one of my all time favorite musicians. With no such luck, we walked and walked and eventually found our way back to Dublin, St James Gate and the Guinness Brewery. . After my first near death encounter in Ireland, narrowly escaping being run over by a truck while taking this picture, we hoped to get a taste of Irish-brewed, locally produced Guinness. . . and ooh was it good.
So what’s the skinny on Guinness and why is it GOOD FOR YOU?
GUINNESS stout is made from four natural ingredients: Water, Barley – malted and roasted, Hops, Yeast. No artificial colorings or flavorings are added. I was a bit shocked to learn, Guinness in fact is lower in alcohol, calories and carbohydrates than Samuel Adams, Budweiser, Heineken and almost every other major-brand beer not classified as light. It also has fewer calories and carbohydrates than a glass of low-fat milk and orange juice.
According to a 2009 University of Wisconsin study, one pint of Guinness a day may be beneficial to the heart. Researchers found that the antioxidant compounds in Guinness are responsible for health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls and may work as well as a low dose aspirin.
Guinness has a higher concentration than lighter beers of vitamin B, which lowers levels of homocysteine, linked to clogged arteries. And researchers have found that anti-oxidants from the moderate use of stout might reduce the incidence of cataracts by as much as 50%. Based on the belief that it was high in iron, pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness. * I was one of them. Diageo, however, the company that now manufactures Guinness, said: “We never make any medical claims for our drinks.”
Now, we all know how easy it is to order two Coors Light, two Sam Adams, or heck even two Hoegarden but in lies my only real problem with Guinness; How do you order more than one Guinness without sounding like a doofus? So my google search came up with “Guinni” but I might get punched by some folks caught repeating that in any well respected bar. Just ain’t happenin.
So in the words of Black 47, “Fiddlee diddlee deidely dee, I was born to play the funky ceili”. We had a blast exploring Dublin, had a few too many pints, foolishly tried to Irish dance, reinforced my laugh wrinkles yet some more, and got to know the locals and our good friend Guinness intimately. Sadly never actually found Bono – although we did walk past his house. Just don’t tell The Palace Bar or Homeland Security I snuck out of the country with one of their pint glasses… Sláinte! Dublin, we were off to Paris to enjoy the medicinal benefits of Red Wine.
Now, sit back, relax, skip the green beer and for Pete’s sake drink a real Irish Beer this St Patrick’s Day! Anything else would be just plain blasphemy. Always remember to drink responsibly.
It’s stasis that kills you off in the end, not ambition – Bono
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