guiness
© RIA Novosti/Vladimir Fedorenko
Ireland on Thursday will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country's most famous export beer, Guinness, the Irish Times has reported.

Arthur Guinness, the founder of the brewery, signed a 9,000-year lease on the brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin on September 24, 1759. The company has called the day Arthur's Day and has asked everyone to lift a pint of brew at exactly 5:59 p.m. (or 17:59) to celebrate the signing of the lease.

At the main brewery in Dublin, artists like Tom Jones and Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating will be performing. In honor of the occasion, artists such as reggae star Sean Paul will play in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Black Eyed Peas will perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Irish Times reported.

Ireland's An Post has also issued a commemorative stamp in honor of Arthur Guinness.

Some 10 million glasses of Guinness are drunk daily in more than 100 countries. Britain, Ireland, Nigeria, the U.S. and Cameroon are the biggest markets.