Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

The export beer that became a tradition.

In 1801, the brewery introduced a stronger, more heavily hopped variant intended specifically for the Caribbean market. Wooden barrels packed onto sailing ships needed beer that could survive months at sea in tropical heat. The high alcohol and bitter hop load were preservatives.

The plan worked — spectacularly. Foreign Extra Stout became a beloved beer in the Caribbean, in West Africa (where it is still by far the most popular Guinness expression), in Southeast Asia, and across the equatorial belt. In Nigeria, the beer is brewed locally under licence using sorghum in place of some of the barley.

What it tastes like

Big and dark fruits — raisin, prune, fig — against a wall of hop bitterness. A small amount of intentionally soured beer is blended back in, giving a faint tartness that distinguishes it from any other stout in the world. Drink it slowly, at near room temperature, in small glasses.