With ingredients from Ireland and America, Guinness Blonde is more than a beer – it’s melding of nations! As the beer continues to hit shelves around the nation, we compared Dublin and Latrobe – the two cities central to production.
Latrobe, Pa.
Population: 8,338
Area: 2.3 square miles
Notable Landmark: Latrobe Train Station, built in 1903, is on the National Register of Historic Places
Skyline Standout: Citizens National Bank of Latrobe was opened in 1926 and is the tallest building in the city at six stories
Favorite Sports Team: The Pittsburgh Steelers hold training camp in Latrobe each summer, which likely gives the Steelers the edge over the Pirates and Penguins
Notable Natives: Arnold Palmer, seven-time major-winning golfer, and Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame
Fun Fact: The banana split sundae was invented in Latrobe in 1904 at Tassel Pharmacy, and the city now plays host to the annual Great American Banana Split Celebration each summer
Contribution to Guinness Blonde: American hops (Mosaic, Willamette and Mt. Hood) and the facility where the beer is brewed
Dublin, Ire.
Population: 527,612
Area: 114.99 square kilometers
Notable Landmarks: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College, Dublin Castle and many more
Skyline Standout: The Monument of Light, a 398-foot spire completed in 2003, stands on the same ground as Nelson’s Pillar, which was destroyed by an IRA bombing in 1966
Favorite Sports Team: Dublin’s top professional rugby club Leinster currently sits atop the European Rugby Club Rankings
Notable Natives: For the pop culture fanatics, U2’s Bono and actor Colin Farrell. For the wordsmiths, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw
Fun Fact: The famed Handel’s Messiah was performed for the first time on April 13, 1742 in Dublin, and the anniversary is marked each year with choirs as they perform excerpts
Contribution to Guinness Blonde: Guinness’ 125-year-old yeast, which is being imported to the U.S. for the first time exclusively for the Blonde American Lager
For more information on Guinness Blonde, click here
