London, Sep. 16 : Irish brewery giant Guinness is celebrating its 250th birthday.

The legendary Irish dry stout has grown into one of the world’s biggest booze brands –proving its slogan that “good things come to those who wait”.

Irish brewer Arthur Guinness created the drink, aged 27, in 1752.

According to the Daily Star, he began brewing the black stuff at a small base in Leixlip, County Kildare, before moving operations to the now famous St James Gate brewery in Dublin.

He took out a 9,000-year lease at 45 pounds annually on the city site – and it’s still used today as a museum dedicated to the stout.

Guinness exports from the UK were banned in 1944 as Britain fought the Nazi. The ban was not lifted until 1947, two years after the war ended.

Guinness contains only 198 calories a pint. That is less than most light beer, wine, orange juice, or even light milk.

Almost two billion pints of Guinness are sold worldwide every year. About 40 percent of all Guinness sales are in Africa. (ANI)