If you are, then you might be interested in this. The Christ and Pop Culture site has been exploring what can be learnt from a 250 year old drink:

Writing about alcohol on a Christian web site is like mentioning fire in a crowded theatre: it is bound to create quite a panic. But something is happening this week that I felt I could not ignore. September 24th will mark the 250th anniversary of Guinness. What makes this an interesting event is not simply that it marks 250 years of brewing for Ireland’s national beer, but rather that the man behind the beer is so remarkable.

Many Christians will find it surprising to know that Arthur Guinness was actually a devout Protestant and lover of Jesus. As a Christian Guinness had a deep social conscience. He was concerned for others and as he knew of Jesus’ love for the least, so he saw his role as a follower of Jesus to care for others too. Of primary concern for Arthur was the widespread drunkenness among his fellow Irishmen. At that time the primary alcoholic beverages of choice were whiskey and gin, both of which were cheap and high in alcoholic content. This meant getting drunk was extremely easy. Arthur’s heart was grieved by the social ills that drunkenness had created and so he prayed that God would provide a solution. What makes Guinness unique is that in praying this prayer he was also willing to be part of the answer to that prayer if God would so choose to use him.

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