If you know anyone who's Irish or who has been to Ireland, you have no doubt heard that the Guinness is better here. Very true. I honestly can't even drink the Guinness at home, with the exception of a few Irish establishments where the pour has been perfected. Even then it's just not the same. There's something about sitting in an Irish pub and sipping on a perfectly poured Guinness that just makes me say 'Ahhhh....'.I remember my first Irish Guinness. It was at Christie's Pub in Arklow at lunchtime on my first day here last year. I was really only having a Guinness because I figured I was in Ireland and that's what you're supposed to do here, right? I really never liked Guinness before so I wasn't looking forward to the pint at all. I had tried it before and it was kind of bitter and filling. Imagine my suprise when I took my first sip and found it smooth and easy on the tastebuds... I can tell you it may have been my first but it was CERTAINLY not my last.
As for the pouring of Guinness - if you ever order a Guinness and the bartender puts it under the tap and fills the pint to the top, leave the beer on the bar and RUN!! That is SO very wrong. The following was taken from the Guinness site and it is the ONLY way they pour it here:
"Six Degrees of Preparation
GUINNESS® Draught is best served at 4-6°C (that's 39.2-42.8°F), with the legendary two-part pour. First, tilt the glass to 45 degrees and carefully pour until three quarters full. Then place the glass on the bar counter and leave to settle. Once the surge has settled, fill the glass to the brim. It takes about 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. But don't fret. It's worth the wait."
The reason for the yummy taste and perfect pour in Ireland? The Guinness Quality Team. There are a group of people hired especially to travel to every pub that serves Guinness (so every pub in Ireland) to work with the owners and bar staff to ensure that the Guinness is of the highest quality and poured to perfection. They check for clean lines, proper pint glasses, and all sorts of other things. That's not the best part though. The best part is the cool little van that has 'Guinness' painted all over it that they get to drive everywhere. You see them driving around and parked outside pubs all the time. No wonder the Guinness is so good!
Guinness also runs a special series over here of different brews they try for a season or so and then take off the market. I guess the first one didn't go over so well, but the second one (Tuscan Brew) was out for the summer and I was impressed. Tuscan tastes like Guinness, it looks like Guinness, and it's poured like Guinness but it's LIGHTER going down. This is good and bad. Good because it doesn't drink so slowly and it's easier to drink more. Bad because it doesn't drink so slowly and it's easier to drink more. See the dilemna?
The new hotel just opened up this week down the road from my place. I'm planning on stopping into the bar later this evening to make sure they know how to pour a proper Guinness. I'll be sure to check one for you too. After all, we wouldn't want them surving bad Guinness, would we? ;-)
The reason for the yummy taste and perfect pour in Ireland? The Guinness Quality Team. There are a group of people hired especially to travel to every pub that serves Guinness (so every pub in Ireland) to work with the owners and bar staff to ensure that the Guinness is of the highest quality and poured to perfection. They check for clean lines, proper pint glasses, and all sorts of other things. That's not the best part though. The best part is the cool little van that has 'Guinness' painted all over it that they get to drive everywhere. You see them driving around and parked outside pubs all the time. No wonder the Guinness is so good!Guinness also runs a special series over here of different brews they try for a season or so and then take off the market. I guess the first one didn't go over so well, but the second one (Tuscan Brew) was out for the summer and I was impressed. Tuscan tastes like Guinness, it looks like Guinness, and it's poured like Guinness but it's LIGHTER going down. This is good and bad. Good because it doesn't drink so slowly and it's easier to drink more. Bad because it doesn't drink so slowly and it's easier to drink more. See the dilemna?
The new hotel just opened up this week down the road from my place. I'm planning on stopping into the bar later this evening to make sure they know how to pour a proper Guinness. I'll be sure to check one for you too. After all, we wouldn't want them surving bad Guinness, would we? ;-)
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