Arthur Guinness, the man behind Ireland’s deliciously dark export is about to enjoy a worldwide celebration like no other. On September 24, 2009, people the world over will be raising a pint of the black stuff in salute to his legacy- 250 years to the day that he made the first step towards the Guinness Empire. To celebrate the occasion, Guinness are giving away some stupendous prizes such as a trip to their unique submarine-bar in Norway and a journey into space. Yes, indeed… space! Head over to www.guinness.com for more info about the competitions. As the merrymaking begins in Ireland, pubs and bars are taking time to share in the fun.

Halfway around the globe from Ireland, the Guinness drinkers of Hong Kong can rejoice thanks to McSorley’s in SoHo who are making a concerted effort to bring the party to Asia on Friday September 25, 2009. Offering 250 free bottles of Guinness Limited Brew -crafted specially for the anniversary- in a giveaway that certainly ups the ante from their previous 100 pints extravaganza. McSorley’s, it seems, enjoy giving the black stuff away as much as SoHo patrons enjoy drinking it.

We’ve certainly come a long way since the inception of Arthur Guinness’ first brewery and what a journey its been. Born in Ireland in 1725, it was at the age of 34 that Arthur signed the lease for a disused brewery in Dublin. An important factor in the contract, which spanned a rather staggering 9,000 years, was the inclusion of water rights, ensuring that the flow of Guinness from the Irish capital would be nothing short of constant.

In 1779, a Dublin committee threatened this flow when it attempted to cut off and fill in the water source. Arthur was immediately forced to fight for the brewery’s survival, although he seemed prepared for it, quite literally, guarding his property with a pickaxe and refusing to surrender an inch. The dispute was settled once and for all in 1784 wherein Arthur Guinness was granted rights to the supply for a further 8,975 years.

Steering the moral of the story away from the rather haphazard suggestion that ‘he who brandishes a pickaxe gets his own way’, it only takes a few mental bounds to imagine how different the Guinness legacy would have been were it not for Arthur’s steadfast resolve. Trying not to venture into the territory of sheer hyperbole, its safe to say the world would be somewhat different.

Television commercials would forever be without the likes of black and white horses atop rolling waves, tick wouldn’t follow tock follow tick follow tock and the intoxicating Guinness theme song wouldn’t be accompanied by an inspired dance routine. Perhaps most significant of all however, would be the lesson Guinness forces us to learn; a succinct and visually identifiable little slogan that rings true every time we order a Guinness…

…Good things comes to those who wait.