Culture | World in a dish

Why everyone is harping on about Guinness

How the Irish stout has drafted in new fans

Pint of stout wearing an orange beanie
Illustration: Getty Images/The Economist
|2 min read

NO OTHER MISSIONARY has such a fun reputation. St Patrick helped bring Christianity to Ireland. In return, on March 17th the country’s patron saint is feted with processions, pipes—and a lot of Guinness. Around 13m pints of the Irish stout, the de facto national beverage, are consumed globally every year in the celebrations.

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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Harping on about Guinness”

From the March 22nd 2025 edition

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