Everybody loves an Irish pub. Whether you're settling in for a quiet pint by a roaring fire, embracing the craic with a raucous communal singalong or stumbling out of a questionable imitation on a holiday strip, we all gravitate towards these beacons of green, white and orange. But why do they mean so much to us?

For the last decade, Colm Dalton has made it his life's mission to travel the globe in search of the world's best Irish pubs, in the hope of answering this age-old question. Part travelogue, part love letter, Stout of this World is a hilariously intrepid celebration of humanity's favourite watering holes, a book that delves into the bottom of a pint glass to show how the Irish pub has become Ireland's greatest cultural export.

From 'Famous Seamus' the Balinese Leprechaun to the pub that touches the clouds in Bolivia, the shining example of Irish American Taverns in Los Angeles and the bars that base their identity on Ireland's literature and music, join Colm as he embarks on an unforgettable adventure to show us the Irish pub in all its glory, and why it is worth celebrating.