Guinness: What Nigerians believed about the Stout in the 70s and 80s

Nigerians believed it was low on sugar and was good for clearing bile and treating menstrual cramps

Over the week commencing September 23, 2018, Pulse has curated content on Jedi and beer brands, celebrating and critiquing the Nigerian drinking culture.

This time, Pulse examines how our grandparents perceived Guinness Stout and its effectiveness in the 70s and 80s as well as what they used it for.

The brand was first exported to Sierra Leone in 1827 and soon became popular. In 1963, Guinness commenced making Ikeja, Lagos the first manufacture brewery outside Britain.

A short while later, Guinness Nigeria was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Since then, the company has expanded to Benin, Ogba, and Aba while creating other brands like Harp.

 

All the while, Guinness has championed some of the most memorable ad campaigns like Made of Black, that resonated with football lovers and ‘My Friend Udeme’

These campaigns only sought to reinforce its popularity with Nigerians by the generation. It has never been stale. What however catches the fancy is the belief it created in Nigerians.

When it started gaining popularity in Nigeria circa 1970, a seasoned teacher, Mrs. Udodiong and culture enthusiast, says, “Nigerians loved it do the taste and it created a loyalty amongst Nigerians, it has since not stopped.”

 

During the chat, she revealed that the stout resonated with Nigerians for its dark colour and bitter taste which ticked the Nigerian definition of “healthy.”

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Why did we think it healthy?

As noted in the article about Jedi on September 25, 2018, Nigerians and Africans are familiar with herbs, which are usually funnily coloured and bitter.

The same reason why Nigerians misconstrue Jedi as a herbal mixture like ‘Àgbo’, is the same reason why they accepted and resonated with Guinness stout.

Guinness stout is rich in sugar

It was also misconceived that it contains little no sugar and that has been debunked by Real Beer which pegs the sugar content at 14 grams and 176 calories.

 

For context, Coke that is deemed too sweet contains just 11 grams of sugar. It makes a joke of what out grandparents held as sacrosanct in Guinness stout.

According to Mrs. Udodiong, “Our parents thought it was medicinal and healthy, compared to other brands, because it was bitter and dark in colour.”

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Our grandparents also gave it their menstruating daughters to douse menstrual cramps

Menstrual cramps are not funny. For some women, it is also unbelievable what they go through when they are on their period.

It is then not beyond conception that Nigerian parents felt the alcohol and supposed medicinal purposes could help douse the sharp pain of menstrual cramps.

Mrs. Udodiong couldn’t confirm or deny whether it actually worked, but she did confirm that they only supposed this angle because of what they felt.

She said, “Our fathers even gave us stout because they felt it was medicicinaal during menstruation for cramps.”

Do we agree?

No, we don’t. Guinness Stout is just another beer to be enjoyed. It does not clear bile, neither is it low on sugar nor does it cure menstrual cramps.