A few months ago when I was in Ireland, I did what all travellers who set foot in Dublin do.
I made my pilgrimage to St James’s Gate Brewery, home of Guinness, also known by some people as The Disneyland for Grown-Ups.
The minions working for Guinness have set up an elaborate multimedia-style exhibition showcasing the origins of the black beer.
For some reason, a lot of their exhibits feature a man in blue shirt and gray pants speaking very enthusiastically through a projector screen about the beer.
I just would never have imagined that some four months later, this man would again appear right before my eyes.
Wearing the exact same blue shirt and gray pants!
It’s like he literally walked out of the projector screen. I didn’t know at the time who he is, or why exactly is he so important. Only much later did I find out his name is Fergal Murray.
That, and he holds the single most important job in Guinness Breweries worldwide.
You see, Fergal Murray is a Master Brewer, and the only Global Master Brewer in the world.
Much like how in the movie Transformers, The Primes are the guardians to the Matrix of Leadership, the recipe for brewing Guinness is also one closely guarded secret.
It is a 250-year-old secret which has been passed down generation to generation from its founder, Sir Arthur Guinness. It is a secret known only to an exclusive number of people they called The Master Brewers.
Fergal Murray is the latest in the long line of Master Brewers who knows all about the brewing of Guinness. Despite my best efforts asking him how to make my own black beer, he just wouldn’t tell.
The guy said something like he can tell me but then he’d have to kill me. Then I said he can kill me, but there’s already a beer called Kilkenny.
He didn’t find it funny. 🙁
To him, Guinness is serius bizness. Nothing satisfies the Irishman more than ridding our local bartenders of bad practices and educating them to perform the famous two-part pour, craft the perfect pint, and serve it with the same amount of love and care that he puts into brewing the 250-year-old beer.
Some people said that they don’t like the bitterness of Guinness. The truth is, a nicely-poured Guinness fresh from the tap shouldn’t taste that way. There’s the sweetness of caramel and roasted malt hidden amongst the flavour that can only be tasted when the bartender gets it right. When you can feel those flavours in your mouth, that’s when you know you’ve got good beer.
Anyway, the reason Fergal Murray was in town is because he’s here to launch the 250th Anniversary of Guinness.
When I first got the invite, I was curious.
It was the first time I have ever attended an event held inside Aquaria KLCC.
Why, of all places, Aquaria KLCC?
The reasons became clear when I arrived at the venue.
Guinness was experimenting how to feed fish with beer!
…
No, just kidding. The fish in Aquaria KLCC are not above the age of 21.
The launch was held in Aquaria KLCC because as part of its global 250th Anniversary celebrations, the brewery is running a HUGE global contest. The contest is so huge, that Guinness will be giving away three extremely remarkable once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
These prizes are so huge, unique, so jaw-droppingly amazingly, that quite possibly no other competition in the world would be able to replicate it for a long time.
Prize Number One is the Guinness Sea Experience.
First, the winner and two friends will be flown all the way to Norway. After enjoying an incredible four day stay on an island, they will board a purpose-built submarine that plunges deep into the depths of the ocean.
There, the exclusively-designed G250 Underwater Bar shall open for business for the winner to enjoy a pint of black beer while being surrounded by beautiful seascape.
It is
guaranteed to be an experience like no other.
Second, the Guinness Studio Experience.
For this one, the winner and two friends get to hangout with The Black Eyed Peas! Imagine having the world’s most popular hip-hop band performing live to you privately in their studio, then boast about drinking the black stuff wit The Black Eyed Peas afterwards.
You can ask will.i.am where he got his body from (he got it from his momma).
Or Fergie whether or not she wants her Hokkien char kuay teow with clams (mai ham, mai ham, mai ham mai ham mai ham).
But if you think those two prizes are good, wait till you hear the third ultimate prize.
The third prize is so outrageous, so incredibly epic that it’ll make you wanna forget about those two prizes and sink the Black Eyed Peas into the depths of the ocean. Permanently.
The third prize is a trip into…
… OUTER SPACE!
Yes, the third prize is Guinness Space Experience.
The winner and a friend flies off to New Mexico, USA – home of Spaceport America.
Here, you will undergo the three-day training course to ensure you’re physically fit for the space odyssey before you’re cleared to hop on the Virgin Galactic Spaceship.
You will have the privilege to become one of the first few non-professional astronauts in the world to jet off into space. As you exit the Earth’s atmosphere and float off your seat due to the weightlessness, raise your pint glass towards your friends back home on Planet Earth to give them one big yam seng!
Now, everyone can be an angkasawan. (If you are really lucky lah.)
This is Virgin boss Richard Branson telling more about the Guinness Space Experience.
The big question people might wanna ask is, how do you enter this once-in-a-lifetime global contest? The prizes are so big, it cannot possibly be that easy to enter, could it?
Do you have to take silly photos of you being kidnapped inside the back of a car?
Do you have to dress up as that frumpy old lady on Internet from Britain’s Got Talent?
Do you have to drink the whole brewery worth of Guinness?
Apparently not.
It’s damn easy one. For a chance to win a submarine trip to the depths of the Norwegian Seas, or a private performance by The Black Eyed Peas, or a flight onboard the Virgin Galactic Spaceship into space.
All you gotta do is answer this one dead simple question.
“True or False? Guinness is celebrating its 250th Anniversary since the signing of the lease at St James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin in 1759.”
Send your answer with the text “G250 ANSWER NAME IC” to 33212.
(Hint: The answer starts with ‘T’ and ends with ‘RUE’.)
Please take me to space if you win.
Blog Plug of the Day: Cocktales, by the Thirsty Blogger.
Some people blog about food, some people blog about travels. But Thirsty Blogger’s blog is all about alcohol alcohol alcohol.
My favourite entry? How to make your own authentic Sarawakian Tuak!
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So easy meh? Thanks for the heads up!
for a moment there, when i didnt see any comments after reading your post, I thought the end of internet world is coming.
Scare me!
really so easy bo…*fingers cross*
sent. now prepare for some earth invasion. do aliens drink?
This is an awesome contest. I’m keen to win the SPACE or SEA trip. I’m not interested in STUDIO, coz I don’t like Black Eyed Peas, but perhaps the travelling would be fun.
Hope that your hairless leg won’t fail you from the tests for the trip to outterspace =P
then everyone answer rightly, all get to fly? never say lucky number what or whatnot
u better gv me $$ than bring me go somewhere ..huhuhhh ..
I sent the sms, and then I realised I am not yet 21. And then, my world collapsed….
tat’s crazy offer! @_*…… wat on earth there’s such an attractive prices yet d participation is so easy??? m i dreaming???
o_0
Am I dreaming?
Wow! It’s easy but the percentage you got the prizes are less than kena Toto.
Good luck for all! ^^
will i be able to participate? currently not in Malaysia T_T *cries*
I’m assuming that the prizes aren’t in order of merit? Cos i can’t see how a space trip will be third prize.. it totally trumps the studio black eye peas (unless, u’re am ultimate dieheart, extremely hardcore fan).
Is this open to the whole world??
Wow, is that true for the Space part???
btw, i think there is a typo, is it “char koay teow without clam”?? Mr Kenny wrote “with clam” lol
They can keep the submarine, BEP and space trip – if I win, I just wanna meet those two Guinness chicks!!!
Aisay! Can only submit 1 entry a day! Tell lah next time Kenny…
This sounds more like a lucky draw than a contest :(. Well will give it a try…
Wow..so easy..okok…i will send one…^^
haha, not really into those stuffs, since drinking isn’t something I enjoy..By the way , the joke about the clam really make me ROFLMAO!damn, hokkien parody! LOL!
OK done 🙂 I want to go to space! Had to use WW’s IC tho – hope she’ll take me with her :p
well, they earn a lot from the participation fee per person a single day already.
Hahah!! Sent already. Will definitely let u know if I win… But the chance is like… sooooooooooooo slim…..
only for ’21 years old & above’ ?
Hi Kenny,
I think Paulaner beer tastes better than Guinness, you should try it one day and introduce this great beer to the audience …
Nice seeing u there.. Take care…
the most interesting part of this post is.. that 2 hot chicks~!! bcoz it’s the onli thg that seems reality.. got their contact, yet? bet u did~!
One hell of an entry man!
gooodeeehhhjhhhooobb!
I wanna go to SPACEEEEEEE
i will try to drink guiness one day…
… I just realized too… NOOO!!!!!
Love that orange dress, it brought out the eyes..
Nice orange dress…haha
mai ham lol.
*FU***************K!!! , I SO WANNA WIN!!!!
I have yet to try Paulaner so can’t comment on its taste.
But the name “Paulaner” sure sounds like some Ah Beng scolding his friend Paul!
Ya, the contest is open to the whole word. And yalah, there’s no third prize or first prize. Just three prizes to give out. Obviously the space trip will be the most popular one ‘cos that one is truly once in a lifetime.
I think different countries have different ways of entering the contest. Where are you anyway?
this is so cool! but i’m not a good drinker.. will they force me to drink if i win? lol
kenwooi.com
Master brewer my foot, the formula never changes! All just part of maintaining the mystique of guiness, forget about stout being brewed in individual unique vessels, it’s all just steel barrels and added preservatives to maintain consistency. Not to mention post pasteurization to cope with legislative requirements of certain jurisdictions.
Anyone who knows their brew will tell you that.
What AWESOME prizes. Must be really lucky to win!
did u tell him to have his guiness with a raw egg?
Sent. But i read through some of the comment saying this is participate by whole world…so meaning there is only 3 prizes for the whole world..? or each country actually entitle for 3 prizes? NVM let’s try my luck.. If i win the trip to Norway.. will bring u along..coz can bring 2 person mah..LOL.. n if get the Mai Ham.. then i give u la.. not a big fan of BEP.. =)
Still dreaming…
OMG BLACK EYED PEAS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so lucky kenny
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