Guinness beer loses its favor in native Ireland

If there is a common denominator to these long, cantankerous evenings, it is Guinness, the beer so fundamental to Ireland that one has only to say, "Pour me a pint" to receive a glass of "the black stuff." Bitter and muddy, thick with creamy foam, too meaty for the heat but a blessed lubricant for a foggy night and a tearful chorus of Carrickfergus, Guinness is Ireland's best-selling beer. Sixty-somethings like McCutcheon and Winter wouldn't even consider drinking a wispy lager in its place. But even Guinness, it seems, is not immune to the forces of open markets, suburban sprawl and Ireland's evolution into one of Europe's economic powerhouses. Even as sales have boomed elsewhere, Guinness has seen its business decline in Ireland over the past seven years. Ireland is still the world's second biggest beer-drinking market,... [read full story]