Guinness drinkers know exactly how their pint should look, as well as how it should taste. So when you pour a pint of Guinness the proper way, you increase the likelihood of repeat business … and eliminate any chance of scorn being poured over you.
Here are the ten golden rules for pouring the perfect pint of draught Guinness every time.
1. Select a genuine, branded Guinness pint glass.
This isn’t just for fancy aesthetics or marketing reasons. A proper Guinness glass has a plain bottom on the inside, which allows the smallest bubbles within Guinness to get pushed downward. Whereas, most lager glasses have a special design inside the bottom, which is there to keep the CO2 bubbles circulating. So, if you use a lager glass for Guinness, it won’t settle properly.
Also, the harp logo on a proper Guinness glass is perfectly positioned, to provide a target when pouring a pint.
2. Make sure the temperature of the glass is cool to the touch.
The glass temperature can affect the flavour of a pint of beer. If it’s freezing cold, it’ll numb your tastebuds and your ability to taste complex flavours will be reduced. While Guinness served in a warm glass won’t maintain its head. So it will taste flatter and less creamy.
3. Check that the glass is clean and dry.
Hold the glass up to the light, to make sure it’s spotlessly clean – with no lipstick, detergent or dust.
Any fat or grease residues will cause a rapid release of carbonation within the Guinness. Which will cause it to go flat and change its taste.
Glasses should always be cleaned in a well-maintained dishwasher, then air dried. Never be tempted to polish a glass with a cloth. This can spread germs, scratch glasses and leave dust inside them.
4. Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle and position the Guinness nozzle just over the back of the Guinness logo.
5. Pull the tap handle all the way down in one smooth and confident motion, to begin the first part of the pour.
6. Just before the top of the Guinness reaches the bottom of the logo, keep pouring, but slowly straighten up the glass.
7. When the Guinness reaches the top of the gold harp, push the tap handle back to an upright position and put the drink down to settle for 60 to 80 seconds.
At this stage, it will initially have quite a thin head, while millions of tiny bubbles circulate throughout the glass. The larger bubbles move upward first, to begin creating the head. While the smaller ones cascade downward, then slowly circulate back up to join the other bubbles in the head. This visual current is known as the Guinness ‘surge’.
Once the beer has darkened throughout and the head has grown in height (to about 2cm), it’s time to top it off.
8. Hold the glass upright below the tap and push the tap slightly toward the customer.
When a Guinness tap is pushed forward, it releases less gas into the beer than when it’s pulled backward. This ensures that the second part of the pour won’t create a second surge and increase the size of the head.
9. Stop pouring when the creamy head forms a slight dome over the top of the glass.
10. Serve the glass to your customer with a smile and the Guinness logo facing forward.
Congratulations. You have poured the perfect pint of Guinness. Sláinte!
