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Fact: Guinness Beer Is Actually Red, Not Black

The more you know ...
Beer in a glass at a pub
Carl Bruemmer via Getty Images
Beer in a glass at a pub

Hold onto your pints, because we have a bit of Guinness trivia that is about to knock your green St. Paddy’s Day hat right off your head. Guinness, that beloved stout that you drink religiously on Saint Patrick’s Day (which you sometimes drop a shot of bailey’s into and chug) and is as filling as a dinner, is not what you think.

If you take a look at glass of Guinness, it’s black, right? If you’re being picky, it’s a deep, deep chocolate brown. But actually, it’s not black at all. It’s not even brown. This pint of beer is red ― and the Guinness website confirms it.

A punch of Guinness like you'd see in a pub.
Nagalski via Getty Images
A punch of Guinness like you'd see in a pub.

When you hold a pint of Guinness up to the light ― which, to be fair, doesn’t happen often considering the environment in which it is often consumed ― you’ll see that this stout is in fact ruby red. Take a look:

A slow pour of Guinness in front of a light shows that this beer is in fact red.
Joff Lee via Getty Images
A slow pour of Guinness in front of a light shows that this beer is in fact red.

The ruby red color is a result of the way the malted barley is roasted during the beer’s preparation.

Now that we’ve got that all taken care off, it’s time you learned how to pour yourself a proper stout.

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