Guinness to open first US brewery in 63 years

Diageo has announced plans to open a US version of its St James’s Gate Guinness Brewery in Dublin, which is the city’s most popular tourist attraction and welcomes some 1.5 million tourists each year.

Guinness was founded in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin.

Diageo announced last week plans to build a mid-sized Guinness brewery and visitor experience with an innovation microbrewery at the company’s existing Relay site in Maryland and would represent an investment of some US$50 million.

Set to become the first Guinness brewery in the US for 63 years, the new brewery will produce new beers created for the US market, while the company’s Guinness stouts will continue to be brewed at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, Ireland.

Visitors would be able to tour the brewery, sample experimental beers brewed on-site at the taproom, and purchase Guinness merchandise at the retail store.

“Opening a Guinness brewery and visitor center in the US will enable us to collaborate with fellow brewers and interact with the vibrant community of beer drinkers,” said Tom Day, president of the Diageo Beer Company, USA.

“Given the success of our Open Gate Brewery in Dublin and the popularity of beer tourism in the US, we are confident that Americans will welcome the opportunity to come experience Guinness brewing in Baltimore County. We appreciate the support we have received so far from state and local officials and look forward to continuing to contribute to the local community.”

The project is expected to create around 40 jobs in brewing, warehousing and packaging operation, and 30 within the visitor experience part of the project.

Diageo hopes to receive approvals and to begin construction this spring with the goal of opening the brewery this autumn, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Guinness first being imported into the US.