Interview With Guinness Ambassador, Richie Robb

A bit about you and your love for Guinness

I’m Richard Robb and for the last three years I have had what many people tell me could be the best job in the world, travelling around New Zealand as the Guinness Ambassador, taste testing delicious pints of Guinness. Sometimes I still can’t believe I do this for a job, but it really is a massive privilege to represent Guinness and all of its history.

I’m often asked how I got this gig, and I had actually been with the brewery for a number of years in other roles and was asked to apply. I love all good beer which helps, but I really fell for Guinness while I was working at Canterbury Brewery, where we were brewing Guinness Draught for New Zealand up until the quakes.

There’s no better tasting beer than one tasted right from the source and there is just so much to love about Guinness. The theatre of the pour, the surge of the nitrogen gas, the anticipation while it forms the thick creamy head, the smooth texture, and the roasty and chocolate flavours from the roasted Irish barley. It’s pretty easy to see how Guinness is the most adored liquor brand in the world, our drinkers absolutely love the stuff!

Why is Guinness so synonymous with St Patrick’s Day?

St Patrick’s Day is all about the Irish, and Guinness is an icon of Ireland. Anyone who has visited the Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate Brewery will have learnt some of the long history of Guinness and understand why the brand is so loved and important to the Irish. Arthur Guinness didn’t just start a brewery in 1759, he was an entrepreneur and philanthropist as well as being a brewer.

What is your favourite part about St Patrick's Day?

Quite simply seeing so many people out enjoying a pint with friends and complete strangers, it’s just such a sociable day.

How will you be celebrating this year/how will you be enjoying a pint?

My St Patrick’s day really kicks off on Saturday the 14th this year with the St Patrick’s Parade up Queen St in Auckland. From there I’ll just be trying to visit as many customers as possible in the greater Auckland area, making sure the pints are looking and tasting great which I’m sure they will be. On the big day I get to visit a few radio stations in the morning to get them in the spirit with some care packages, and then head out around some of the legendary Auckland Irish Pubs for the rest of the day.

Top five facts about Guinness?

• More than 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on St Patrick’s Day.
• In 2000, a study found that men with bushy moustaches lost 162,719 pints to their bristles a year.
• The perfect Guinness pint takes 119.5 seconds to pour
• The ‘widget’ (that little white ball) in your Guinness can is filled with nitrogen-infused Guinness, the change in pressure pulling the tab creates causes it to fizz up and give you that authentic draft-tap experience when you pour it into the glass. The widget was deemed so important in 1991 that it received a Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement, beating out the internet.
• Nearly 2 million people per year visit the Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland

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