THE reputed Welsh origins of the famous Irish brew Guinness have inspired a new dark ale which will be launched by the Anglesey Brewing Company this year.

Head brewer Tom Adamson will be unveiling the porter-style beer at the inaugural Anglesey Food Festival that’s being held on the Anglesey Showground from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, June 1.

Tom, who’s based in Carmel, near Llannerch-y-Medd, has called it Gwin y Gwan which was the slogan used by Guinness in a series of Welsh language adverts in the 1950s.

According to Tom, a keen student of brewing history, Arthur Guinness developed his taste for the dark beer when he stopped off at a coaching inn in Llanfairfechan, on the last leg of his journey back to Ireland following business trips to London.

The establishment where he stayed was called Gwyn Du which, allowing for some misspelling, translates into Black Wine.

Tom said: “When Arthur Guinness was staying over at the inn, the owner of it had been brewing this dark beer and apparently after a few years of travelling back and forth he actually asked for the recipe from the owner.

“The owner gladly gave it to him which led to the creation of the Guinness we know and love - and the rest is now brewing history as they say.

”With Gwin y Gwan, I’m paying homage to a brewing legend and its Welsh roots. It’s made from hops, barley and its secret ingredient – a special yeast – and the taste is earthy and chocolatey and at 4.8% it’s not too strong.

”I chose to call it Gwin y Gwan because that’s the affectionate name Welsh speaking people have for Guinness ever since those famous adverts came out."