A Spirit of Innovation

Our worldwide mission to craft distinctive beer of the most outstanding quality is fuelled by a spirit of innovation that’s at the core of our DNA. We’ve travelled to every corner of the earth, commissioned our own fleet of ships, even built our own railway… because we believed in the beer we brewed and we wanted everyone to taste it.

“We surprised an entire industry by being the first brewer to hire scientists to head up a groundbreaking research lab, which led to the use of nitrogenation in beer”

Alexander Forbes-Watson

One of our Oxford-educated chemists

We surprised an entire industry by being the first brewer to hire scientists to head up a groundbreaking research lab, which led to the use of nitrogenation in beer, giving Guinness® its legendary creamy head and smooth and balanced taste. We then went on to invent the world-famous Guinness® widget, making this nitrogenating technology available in cans.

The widget being added to a can

A can of Nitro IPA in production

Today, our pioneering quest for innovation is still a vibrant part of the most fabled brewery in the world at St. James’s Gate in Dublin. Which is just as well, as we’ve got a lot more beer to brew.

Our brewers at work

The Brewers Project

Our brewing history began with ales, then porters and then, famously, stout. The next chapter of Guinness innovation is led by the Brewers Project: a group of bold and enterprising brewers on a quest to explore new recipes, re-interpret old ones and collaborate freely to bring exciting beers to life.

We have a hidden gem on site at St. James’s Gate, our best-kept secret in fact. The Pilot Brewery: a hub of beer trial and exploration. All our beers and new innovations begin here before progressing to the main brewhouse. This allows us to keep innovating in unexpected ways, brewing world-class beer the world over.