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For most folks, Guinness means one thing above all others: that unmistakably dark, ruby-red pint with a creamy head, smooth roasted flavor, and slow "surge and settle" that's part of the Guinness Draught experience. The brand's roots go back to 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, little knowing its beer would one day be brewed in about 50 other countries — one of which drinks more of the beer than its home country.
Sadly, the Guinness brewery map is much smaller in the U.S., with only two breweries in the Baltimore, Maryland, and Chicago, Illinois, areas. They're known as the Open Gate Brewery locations, a nod to the longtime experimental Open Gate Brewery in Dublin. The American sister sites are likewise designed with what the company calls a "spirit of exploration and discovery," merging classic and modern styles and ingredients.
Guinness tried brewing in the U.S. decades ago. They operated a brewery in Long Island City, New York, from 1949 until 1954, hoping that Americans who spent time in Europe during World War II would crave darker stouts. That didn't happen, at least back then. Today, the Baltimore and Chicago breweries walk on the wild side compared to what's considered traditional Guinness beers, and they're helmed by well-versed American craft brewers who have created a revolving door of beer programs.
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Guinness U.S. breweries aren't just for making beer
The Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Maryland sprawls along Washington Boulevard in Halethorpe, about 10 miles from downtown Baltimore. It sits on the former historic Calvert distillery property, the first to open after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Under the Guinness banner, the space serves as both a production site and visitor destination, now hosting an experimental brewery, taproom, casual food truck, buzzy beer garden, and Guinness-gear retail. Visitors can take self-guided or guided tours.
Between the two U.S. Guinness venues, the Baltimore one leans more heavily into beers beyond the classic Guinness Draught stout, which is not brewed in America at all. Its flagship Baltimore Blonde, first released in Pennsylvania, moved to the Baltimore brewery to be reformulated in 2018. Still made on the Baltimore premises, it's becoming a go-to for lovers of light, crisp, sweet, American amber lager. They also offer rotating experimental and small-batch beers, which might dispel the myth that Guinness tastes better in Ireland.
Illinois joined the Guinness footprint in 2023 by opening the Guinness Open Gate Brewery Chicago in the West Loop. This 15,000-square-foot space was reinvented from a former rail depot, now housing the brewery, taproom, restaurant, and bakery — notably, Guinness' first bakery anywhere in the world. The Chicago taproom wears an urban vibe with food-focused experiences, beer releases, and rotating events, along with a creative tap list that highlights the likes of Salt & Lime Ales, Mexican Amber Lagers, and tropical-fruit-forward IPAs, along with the brand's iconic stout.
Learn more about this iconic master of brews with Tasting Table's look at everything you need to know about Guinness, and take some tips from our in-house Irish expert, Martha Brennan, on how to drink Guinness like a pro.
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Read the original article on Tasting Table.
