Foreign Extra Stout Comes Back To America

Ireland's liquid treasure, Guinness, is loved far beyond its borders. Americans have had a taste for the stuff for years–longer, in fact, than for most of our major domestic brews.

That said, the first Guinness to reach the United States was a very different animal than the nitrogen-charged stout we're familiar with today. The original recipe–known as Foreign Extra Stout–disappeared in America during Prohibition and never returned.

But tomorrow, after nearly a century, Guinness will resume exporting this storied brew. And it was worth the wait.

Considerably bolder than the draught with which we're familiar, Foreign Extra Stout boasts a hoppier finish reminiscent of an IPA. It is also traditionally carbonated rather than infused with nitrogen, which strips it of its creamy, almost viscous texture.

And although we're not abandoning the mild, caramel tones of the draught altogether, the Foreign definitely has its place: Its punchy, crisp profile, for instance, makes it a better-suited companion for the richness of traditional pub food.

History lessons are rarely this good.