Guinness Draught: The Mathematician Who Brought Nitrogen to Beer

This is the story of how mathematician-turned-brewer, Michael Ash, pioneered the world’s first nitro beer. Launched in 1959, it’s the same beer known today as Guinness Draught. WHY DID GUINNESS THINK TO INFUSE BEER WITH NITROGEN? For 200 years, Guinness was only sold in casks and bottles. In 1950’s carbonated beer on tap was becoming popular - yet Guinness could not be drafted with ordinary carbonation. Michael Ash realized that nitrogen was the solution. Not only was it a way to dispense the beer — the nitrogen (with its tiny, lively bubbles) made the beer extremely smooth, gave it a long-lasting head and resulted in the now legendary Guinness ’surge and settle’ effect. WHY DID IT TAKE A MATHEMATICIAN? The old guard brewers believed a draft Guinness was ’unsolvable’. But Michael (who was brought on board by Managing Director, Sir Hugh Beaver precisely to bring new blood to the company) believed every problem had a solution and determined to find this one. So, Michael worked on his own time for four yea