The Irish Pub Guide

It’s the world’s most popular stout, Guinness is consumed in well over 100 different countries and brewed in as many as 40, with the biggest markets in the UK, Ireland, US and Nigeria.

But as you sip your next pint, you might be asking, what exactly is in this drink? Is it any healthier than any other pints and what gives it that creamy white texture and crisp taste.

And here we can tell you what is in your pint of Guinness, from the amount of carbs and calories to the ingredients itself.

What are the ingredients of Guinness? Does the water come from the River Liffey?

The ingredients in Guinness are little different to every other stout, although clearly given the popularity of the product, it is brewed different to the rest.

Ingredients: Roasted barley, malted barley, hops, yeast and water.

And does that water come from the River Liffey? No, Diageo explains that while the drink is brewed alongside the Liffey, the water used in the brewing actually comes from the Wicklow Mountains, which, for those not familiar with Ireland, is a bit further south than Dublin.

How many calories are in a pint of Guinness?

For your typical pint of Guinness, the drink is 35kcal per 100ml, so with a pint being 437ml, every pint of Guinness contains 165kcal. This is lower than a lot of other pints, with many leading lagers closer to 200kcal. Heineken for example has 236 calories per pint.

How many carbs in a pint of Guinness?

There are 3 grams of carbohydrates per every 100ml of the drink, meaning a pint of Guinness contains around 14 grams.

Does Guinness contain caffeine?

Despite what the taste and colour may have you believe, there is in fact no caffeine in a pint of Guinness.

Does Guinness contain dairy?

There are no dairy products in a pint of Guinness.

What makes the creamy head of a Guinness?

The company explains: “The creamy white head is created from the ‘initiation’ and ‘surging’ of bubbles of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas as the beer is poured. It’s actually the nitrogen that causes the tight white creamy head.”