Posted on 02/19/2021 6:17:02 AM PST by mylife
AS Irish people have been locked out of the pubs for almost a year, the image of the perfect pint of Guinness has become a symbol for the eventual end of lockdown.
According to Guinness, the most vital step of modern pouring is to fill the glass three quarters full, let it settle for exactly 119.5 seconds before topping up the pint.
But Irish publicans’ world-renowned method was not always the accepted way to serve a pint of plain.
Guinness veterans may remember the early method of pulling pints that was lost in the 1960s known as the “high and low” system.
Here we break down how the iconic Guinness “easy pour” method came to be - and how the “high and low” method was lost to the ages.
IN the early 1900s, the Guinness company faced a massive problem as they began to sell their products globally.
The traditional “high and low” system of pint pulling required too much skill from a barman to be able to roll out worldwide.
The early system actually required two kegs of Guinness being kept at different pressures. Outside of Ireland, Guinness had mostly been a bottled product, hence the name “high and low”.
The high pressure barrel was used to fill a pint glass with the foamy “head” first. These bubbles slowly settled to the bottom of the glass over a number of minutes to form a thick cream.
The second low pressure barrel would be used to add a darker, less bubbly stout and excess cream would be scraped off to form the recognisable pint.
However, this two step system required a lot of skill which would alter the taste and look of the pint if done incorrectly when rolled out abroad.
(Excerpt) Read more at thesun.ie ...
I love me some Guinness.
I keep forgetting that extra .5 second so it gives me a tasty beer mustache.
I butchered up the copy, full story at the link.
I prefer a good Russian Imperial Stout over a skunky Guinness. Or even a Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout.
When I was in Ireland they did let it sit for a minute then topped it up. I don’t think it was exactly 119 seconds. 😄
Interesting article. As a side note, back in my early 20s, I drank stout and other dark beers regularly in pubs, but as I’ve gotten into mid age, I’ve preferred the lighter ales and lagers and I wonder if that is typical for a person.
Russian Imperial Stout is awesome.
119.5 :)
I’m with you. There are a lot of great micro and others who have created some great Russian Imperials and other Stouts.
There are a few really good videos on how stout is made out there in internet land.
I tend to drink dark beers in winter and lighter beers in summer.
Wonderful ads.
Just the opposite for me. Overall, I drink far less beer/lager/porter/stout than in my younger days. So when I do have a pint now, I want the good stuff - something a little thicker and with more flavor. That usually means a stout or a porter.
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