Netflix’s House of Guinness dives into the powerful and scandal-filled history of the Guinness family, from brewing success to rivalries and tragedy.
Netflix is uncorking a new historical drama this fall with House of Guinness, a series that promises more intrigue, rivalry, and scandal than Downton Abbey. Created by Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight and based on an idea by Guinness descendant Ivana Lowell, the show premieres September 25 with eight episodes.
The series explores the legacy of the Guinness brewing dynasty, whose famous Irish stout has become one of the most recognizable beers in the world, with more than 10 million pints poured daily. Lowell’s inspiration came during a family gathering in Ireland when, after watching Downton Abbey, she realized her own family’s history was far richer — and far juicier — than fiction. She quickly penned a 20-page treatment, which became the foundation of the series.
House of Guinness begins with the death of Benjamin Guinness in 1868, the founder’s grandson who left his four young children with both a vast inheritance and immense responsibility. What followed was a tale of sibling rivalries, shifting loyalties, and high-stakes decision-making as the family navigated brewing success, philanthropy, and political unrest in 19th-century Ireland.
At the heart of the drama are brothers Arthur and Edward Guinness, played by Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge. Arthur expects to inherit the family empire outright, but his father’s will forces him into an uneasy partnership with his brother, creating the show’s central conflict. Their clashes echo modern series like Succession, with power struggles, betrayals, and family secrets bubbling to the surface.
The series also shines a light on the family’s only daughter, Anne, who used her limited inheritance to fund charitable efforts for Ireland’s poor, and on Benjamin Jr., dismissed by his father as unfit to lead. To heighten the drama, Knight introduces fictional characters, including brewery foreman Sean Rafferty, played by James Norton, who acts as both fixer and foil within the Guinness empire.
Much of the show was filmed in Ireland, with Liverpool docks standing in for the iconic St. James’s Gate Brewery. Historical events, such as the rise of Irish revolutionaries targeting Guinness interests, are woven into the plot, alongside depictions of the family’s lavish mansions, philanthropic efforts, and complex relationship with Ireland’s political struggles.
For Lowell, who also authored the memoir Why Not Say What Happened, bringing her family’s history to life was both a personal and creative triumph. Her grandmother Maureen was one of the celebrated “golden Guinness girls” of 1920s high society, while her own childhood was marked by both privilege and loss. Now, she’s entrusted her family’s story to Knight, who has transformed it into what she describes as “fast-paced, full of conflict, and anything but a traditional costume drama.”
With its mix of power plays, betrayal, political upheaval, and lavish settings, House of Guinness aims to capture audiences in the same way Peaky Blinders once did — only this time, with a family name already etched into history.
House of Guinness premieres September 25 on Netflix.
