A Guinness icon, revisited.
Few symbols are as closely tied to Guinness as the harp.
For generations, it has appeared on bottles, bar signs, advertising and glassware — evolving with the brand while remaining unmistakably Guinness.
It has appeared on bottles, bar signs, advertising and glassware for generations — redrawn and refined along the way. But one chapter in its history has a particularly distinctive look: the moment the harp turned gold.
It is that era — and the bold Guinness lettering and glassware that surrounded it — that inspires the Guinness Vintage Gold Harp Pint Glass.
Before the Gold
The Guinness harp is based on the famous 14th-century Irish harp known as the O'Neill, or Brian Boru harp, preserved today in the Library of Trinity College Dublin. It appeared on the company's first trademark bottle label in 1862 and was registered as a Guinness company trademark in 1876.
Over the decades, its design evolved. Ornamentation was simplified, the number of strings reduced and its form became increasingly graphic.
Then, in 1968, came a defining change: a simplified harp was introduced and, having traditionally appeared in black, the device began appearing in gold.
One of Guinness's oldest symbols suddenly had a strikingly modern presence.
When Guinness Found Its Lettering
The harp wasn't the only element changing.
For decades, GUINNESS appeared in a variety of lettering styles across labels, advertising, brewery signage and merchandise.
That changed in 1963, when artist Bruce Hobbs developed the first official typeface for the Guinness name. Known simply as Hobbs, it brought a stronger, more consistent character to the wordmark. In 1968, the lettering was refined with a smoother line and introduced onto bottle labels.
Together, the simplified harp and distinctive Guinness lettering created a visual language that was bold, graphic and unmistakably Guinness.
The Glass Behind the Era
At almost exactly the same time, the Guinness glass was changing too.
In 1964, the Waterford Tankard was introduced in Ireland and became the glass — and symbol — of Draught Guinness until 1982. The first examples were produced by Waterford Glass before moving into wider production.
Its silhouette was distinctive: substantial, rounded through the body and made to feel at home on a pub table.
The Vintage Gold Harp Pint Glass isn't a reproduction of the Waterford Tankard. Instead, its gently shaped pint form gives a subtle nod to the generous curves of vintage Guinness glassware, bringing that character into a glass made for today.
Gold Harp. Bold Letters. One Classic Pint.
This is where the Guinness Vintage Gold Harp Pint Glass brings the story together.
The gold harp recalls the simplified device that emerged in 1968.
The bold GUINNESS lettering evokes the confident typographic identity taking shape during the same decade.
And the curved silhouette carries an echo of the substantial forms associated with Guinness glassware of the Draught era.
Three details. One unmistakable look.
And the story doesn't stop at the glass.
The Guinness Vintage Harp Tee takes the same archive-inspired spirit beyond the bar, bringing vintage Guinness graphics into a piece designed to be worn today.
Different pieces, same inspiration: iconic Guinness details, rediscovered through the archive.
Great design rarely needs to be reinvented. Sometimes it simply needs to be seen again.
Not replicas. Not museum pieces.
Classic Guinness, reimagined for today.
