Monday, March 25, 2013

Guinness Marks 25 Years of the Revolutionary 'Widget'

2.75 billion widgets have been produced by Guinness since 1988


-----Press Release-----

Today, Monday 25th March, Guinness officially marked the 25th anniversary of a true icon of design and innovation - the Guinness ‘widget’. This ingenious invention replicated the draught technology used in pubs and revolutionised the beer industry, enabling Guinness fans across the globe to enjoy a perfect pint in the comfort of their own home.

The widget we are now familiar with is the second generation ‘floating widget’. This small plastic device sits at the bottom of the can until it is opened. Once opened, the floating widget jets Nitrogen through the beer, creating a longer–lasting creamy head on canned Guinness.


Speaking today, Guinness Master, Brewer Fergal Murray "The task was to put Draught Guinness in cans and make it every bit as good as Guinness in pubs. The introduction of the widget meant that consumers could now enjoy the perfect pint both in the pub and at home. It was long journey but every step was a masterful experiment and the end result is considered one of the major innovations in the evolution of the beer industry.”


Since its introduction in 1988, almost every major brewer has replicated this innovative piece of technology to produce their own creamy beers and lagers.


Alan Forage, the widget’s inventor “It’s very satisfying to invent something that revitalised both Guinness and the UK beer industry. After trying their own modifications, they (competitors) have come back to ours, because ours is the best.” (taken from the published book – A Widget’s Tale)



The science

The liquid nitrogen evaporates during the canning process, pressurising the can and forcing some beer into the small plastic device and compressing the nitrogen inside.

The widget floats on the surface of the beer, with a hole just slightly below the surface of the beer. When the can is opened, the pressure inside is immediately reduced, but the sphere acts like a blown up balloon that is suddenly released, and the contents jet out through the tiny hole and into the beer.


As the beer and gas rush through the tiny hole, this agitation causes the N2/C02 that is dissolved in the beer to form tiny bubbles that rise to the surface of the beer and form the head.



Award winning

The widget has been awarded Queen’s Award for Technology Advancement and has been named the *greatest invention of the last 40 years putting it ahead of mobile phones!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Sky Movies App for Android

Sky Movies app to launch on Android smartphones and tablets


Sky has announced that it is extending its Movies companion app to Android handsets. The app, which is available to download for free, offers a one-stop destination with trailers, synopses and cast list for hundreds of movies currently showing on Sky Movies and Sky Store. The app also offers information on movies currently showing at the cinema. In addition, if you are a Sky Movies Pack customer, you can enjoy movies within the app at no extra cost.

The app also doubles as a home planner by allowing users to record movies to their Sky+ HD box while on the move.


Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies said: “A must-have for film fans, the Sky Movies app helps customers explore the fantastic range of movies available for them to enjoy at home or on the move as part of their subscription. The app complements the UK & Ireland’s most popular film subscription service and forms part of our continued commitment to offer customers ways to discover and enjoy more of the year’s biggest blockbusters than any online film subscription service.”


For more information visit www.skymovies.com. The Sky Movies app is free to download from Google Play.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Bushmills Live to Return to The Old Bushmill Distillery in 2013

Bushmills announces the return of Bushmills Live, to be headlined by Of Monsters And Men


The Old Bushmills Distillery today announced that it will once again throw open its doors to play host to ‘Bushmills Live’ - a unique two-day festival celebrating handcrafted whiskey and music. Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, ‘Bushmills Live 2013’ will take place on Northern Ireland’s stunning North Coast on 19th and 20th June 2013.

To celebrate the launch, Bushmills commissioned Wishbone Dagger to make a 3D art installation that depicts the Bushmills Live poster using materials inspired by the handcrafted whiskey and music at the heart of the festival. The master craftsmen - who cemented their friendship when creating the stage set for a hugely popular American television epic that was filmed in Belfast – used 254 casks, 250 bottle tops, 30 bottles of whiskey, five metres of AMP wiring and four guitars to handcraft the 10ft by 16ft installation artwork.


The Icelandic five-piece acclaimed indie folk band, Of Monsters and Men, are currently enjoying enormous worldwide success having just won the 2013 European Border Breakers Award, which honours the best new European music acts. Of Monsters and Man have been dubbed the ‘must see act’ of the year and this summer marks the beginning of a busy festival schedule for the group which will include a performance at one of the biggest international festivals, Coachella in California - making their intimate appearance at Bushmills Live unlike any other that fans will experience this year.


Only 500 tickets are available globally for Bushmills Live, and these ‘money can’t buy tickets’ will not go on general release. Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page. Entries to the draw will open this Sunday, on St Patrick’s Day at 16:08 GMT.


Of Monsters and Men, said: “Playing a show in such a unique location, around the centuries-old warehouses and whiskey barrels, to such an intimate audience, is an experience we are very excited about. It’s going to make our first gig in Northern Ireland a memorable one, and not just for us, for the fans too, we hope!"


Of Monsters and Men are in good company. They join a list of fellow indie rockers such as the iconic Snow Patrol, singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Iain Archer, Elijah Wood, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements who all played electrifying performances at Bushmills Live last year.


Speaking at the launch of Bushmills Live 2013 event Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, Helen Mulholland, promised fans that they can expect to enjoy “more great music between great friends at this year’s event.”


“Whiskey and music have always gone well together”, added Helen Mulholland. “And at Bushmills Live we like to make both by hand, bringing this fusion of handcrafted whiskey and handcrafted music together against the backdrop of our beautiful distillery with performances from artists who are friends - which makes for a cracking atmosphere!”


“It goes without saying that we’re looking forward to extending a warm Bushmills welcome to our new friends, Of Monsters and Men, and to emerging artists who we’re proud to support by creating a music platform that allows fans to discover new and upcoming talent.


“I can’t wait to reveal the rest of the line up in the coming weeks. We’re of course just as excited to open our doors to whiskey and music fans the world over who want to attend Bushmills Live, so get your entry in and good luck!”

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

New Guinness Fermentation and Maturation Vessels



If you've been out in Dun Laoghaire in the last week or two, you'll probably have noticed the huge cylinders sitting on the ship docked right in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

These giant cylinders are part of the shipment of 27 new fermentation and maturation vessels being installed at St James’s Gate as part of its €153 million expansion and redevelopment.


The new vessels will produce Guinness and other beers which will be shipped to the worldwide market on a daily basis. The Guinness vessels will be able to brew 300,000 pints every two hours using 26 tonnes of malt and barley.


The largest of these vessels, standing almost 10 stories high at almost 85.5 feet tall, is capable of holding just under 1,000,000 pints of Guinness. The largest vessel weighs 28 tonnes while empty and over 500 tonnes when filled with Guinness.


The new brew house will secure the long term future of Guinness brewing for the next generation in Ireland. Malt and barley are sourced locally. Once completed, the St. James’s Gate brewery will consume c.125,000 tonnes of barley per annum, which equates to almost 10% of the national crop. Construction of the project started in early summer 2012 and the new brew house will start producing beer in June 2013.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Hermitage Green To Play St. Patrick's Day at Guinness Storehouse

Festival line-up to rival no other with Silent Disco, Electric Céilí and Four Men & a Dog


The Guinness Storehouse have announced that they will host their annual St. Patrick’s Festival from the 15th-17th March for the eighth year running with an, as always, awesome line-up of music, craic and food.

During the course of the festival weekend, there will be a host of eclectic entertainment to suit every taste including a headline style gig from Irish folk rock group Hermitage Green, a silent disco for any dance music loving fans, a lively set by last year’s festival success story Four Men and a Dog, complimentary Guinness & food tastings, and ‘So you think you can Irish dance’ Céilí.


Widely renowned to be Ireland’s answer to Mumford and Sons, Hermitage Green’s star is on the rise having sold out their last gig in September 2012, at which they launched their first official EP, The Gathering, which held its position at No.2 in the Irish download chart for many weeks.


Throughout the festival weekend, visitors can savour a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar overlooking the panoramic views of the city, learn how to pour their own pint of the black stuff in the Guinness Academy and enjoy all Six Nations rugby matches on the big screen over the weekend. The Guinness Storehouse will also be running the VIP Paddy promotion once again this year, welcoming everybody by the first name of Patrick, and variants of the name for free into the attraction on St. Patrick’s Day.


Paul Carty, Managing Director at the Guinness Storehouse commented: "We’re delighted to once again be providing a superb choice of entertainment during our St. Patrick’s Festival. We hope to entertain the masses with our diverse and colourful line-up while also offering excellent value for money. All entertainment during the festival weekend is included in the usual admission price."


Paul added, "Celebrating St Patrick’s at the Home of Guinness has, over the years, started to become a bit of a tradition for Irish people. Each year we see familiar faces who return again and again to savour the unique atmosphere that is the Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day. Last year we saw an influx of Irish visits on March 17th, up 60% on the previous year, and we’re looking forward to offering a warm welcome to local visitors again this year."

Monday, March 4, 2013

Irish Market the First to Air New Ad Themed Around the 1960 Box Office Smash ‘Spartacus’


Innocent have just launched their latest campaign, Innocent Goodness Juicer, over on Facebook. It's powered when people use the hashtag #innocentgoodness or enter a goodness message into the tab. Fans can then see their orange juiced live on the app webcam.

In addition to the straight forward funky awesomeness, Innocent are also giving away lots of great prizes all week for the best innocent goodness messages!