Cheers to Arthur Guinness, man behind the legend, namesake of Irish stout and world records

Guinness is one of the most famous names in business history.

The surname of brewer Arthur Guinness of 18th-century Dublin springs, most notably, from millions of well-lubricated lips around the world on St. Patrick's Day. 

The taste of Guinness, Ireland's original smooth, sable stout, is the signature flavor of the global celebration of Irish heritage. 

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"He was a great brewer and very innovative in what and how we brewed beer," Guinness archivist Eibhlin Colgan of Dublin told Fox News Digital. 

"The communal element we associate with Guinness definitely came from Arthur himself."

Pints of Guinness stout are shown up close.  (Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images)

Here's a look at the actual man behind the beer that's being raised around the world today with smiling Irish eyes — and all those eyes that want to be Irish.

Dublin brewer is the first name in world records

Arthur Guinness is also the namesake of Guinness World Records, known before the internet era as the "Guinness Book of World Records." 

The compendium of amazing global standards and bizarre human endeavors was created by Sir Hugh Beaver, the manager director of Guinness brewery, in 1955.

"The communal element we associate with Guinness definitely came from Arthur himself."

The Bible is the top-selling book in history, with an estimated 5 billion-plus copies sold, according to Guinness World Records. 

Guinness World Records has its own record: It's the No. 1 copyrighted book of all time, with nearly 150 million copies sold around the world.

Arthur Guinness himself is an international man of mystery

His name is known around the world. 

Yet there is only one known portrait of the man. He left behind little to no writing in his own pen. 

This is the only known image of Arthur Guinness. He founded Guinness brewery in Dublin in 1759. He is also the namesake of Guinness World Records. Formerly the Guinness Book of World Records, it's one of the best-selling book titles in history.  (Courtesy Guinness Archives)

Few details exist of his life before 1759.

For example, "no evidence is forthcoming to indicate how or where Arthur acquired a knowledge of brewing," family historian Henry Seymour Guinness wrote in 1928.

"We don't know all of his biographical details," said Colgan.

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"But we certainly know what he stood for. There was a deep morality to his work. It wasn't about being famous. It was about doing the right thing."

Guinness is the national drink of … Nigeria

Guinness is rightfully associated with its home nation of Ireland. 

But the beer is a worldwide brand and Ireland ranks only third in Guinness consumption, behind No. 1 United Kingdom and No. 2 Nigeria.

People enjoy drinking Guinness outside a pub in Dublin city center on Monday, July 5, 2021, in Dublin, Ireland.  (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Guinness was first shipped to Africa in 1827, according to brand history. 

The first Guinness brewery outside Ireland or the United Kingdom opened in Nigeria in 1962.

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Guinness is "served in over 150 countries across the globe," according to parent company Diageo, "and we're proud to have gone to unprecedented lengths to set up 18 breweries across the globe."

Guinness lease in Dublin expires in just 9,734 years

Arthur Guinness executed one of the great real estate deals in history when he signed a 9,999-year lease for a small plot of land in St. James's Gate on Dec. 31, 1759. 

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The deal included a home for his family, a fish pond, gardens, a stable for horses, and a rundown old brewery that had not produced a beer in 10 years, according to archival records.

The World Travel Awards named the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland Europe’s top tourist attraction of 2023. The sprawling brewery also houses a massive archive of employee history dating back to 1799. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Guinness)

It has since expanded dramatically. 

Get there soon! 

The lease expires in the year 11758.  

Guinness brewery has been named world's top tourist site

The Guinness Storehouse, the official name of the sprawling Dublin brewery, was proclaimed the top tourist attraction of 2023 at the World Travel Awards in Dubai on Dec. 1.

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That's no small feat. 

The brewery bested Walt Disney World in Florida, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu in Peru to capture top honors. 

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