Gwyneth Paltrow is having a "love affair" with Guinness.

The 'Country Strong' actress - who is married to Coldplay musician Chris Martin, with whom she has two children, Apple, six, and Moses, five - has revealed since she started singing she always has a pint of the traditional Irish stout before she performs live to steady her nerves.

She first developed a taste for the alcoholic beverage when a friend introduced her to it 10 years ago.

She explained to Stylist magazine: "That's what I always have now before a live performance; a pint of Guinness and a beta blocker. I discovered it a while ago when I had a friend who got married in Ireland and I've been in London for eight years now so it was probably a decade ago that I started drinking it.

"I love it; it's my favourite beer. The first time I had a real Guinness I was like, 'This is the most delicious thing I have ever had in my life'. It was a love affair from then on."

The 38-year-old star - who performed 'Forget You' alongside Cee Lo Green at the Grammys earlier this year - has also revealed her close friend Beyonce Knowles gave her a crash course in live performance before embarked on her music career.

Gwyneth - who also showed off her singing skills in TV show 'Glee' and her latest movie 'Country Strong' - added: "Before I went on at the Grammys I had Beyonce in my dressing room and she was just like, 'You just have to have fun and let go. You know when we we're just backstage at a Jay-Z concert and you're just dancing and having fun? Do that. And don't think about it, just have a great time'.

"She totally got me through it; she knew what to say and I was like, 'You know what? F**k it, I'm just gonna have fun'. And I did. It was really great."