kenmc said:
Also, living in Ireland I think that it's a safe bet that I have access to a hell of a lot more pubs in which to drink Guinness than you do in Virginia, and I've also made a point of trying Guinness anytime I've been abroad, to see how it compares, so again I think I'm in a better position to critique on it than you are.
As for dissing Ryser, no, I was simply trying to say that being in Dublin, the home of Guinness, does not make it taste better. Apologies to him if he felt it was a diss.
If you look through those links you will see that after this summer, the London brewery will close, and production for the UK market will be returned to Dublin. Ergo the UK Guinness was not produced in Dublin, like I've already stated. You want your facts, there you go.
Let's get some things straightened out:
1. I never said Guinness wasn't brewed outside of Dublin.
2. I never said the Guinness overseas isn't different (in taste or otherwise)than the Guinness in Dublin.
3. When I asked how to pour it properly, I was familiar with the "pour 3/4 and wait, then fill to the top" method as you described, however, it is of your
opinion that it is the proper pour. There are at least 2 other methods that work, IMHO. I had one in Holland that served Guinness, where the bartender poured the beer with no head whatsoever and a contraption was used to shoot nitrogen into the glass, which instantly produced a thick white head,
exactly like a regular pour. I did not notice a difference in taste. Also, adding a clover to the head is merely a marketing gimmick. It works. For you to say its corny or whatever, is simply blind. It does not affect the flavor, and probably enhances the experience for some unfamiliar with the magic of Guinness. You are used to the tastes of good beers, whereas here in the U.S., we are Bud/Miller/Coors dominated. Most people won't even try a darker beer for the fact that it only looks different from what they are used to. Dummies.
Anyway, if adding a clover to the head of a Guinness will get one more new person to try it, I'm all for it. Try that with a Budweiser, huh?
4. Again, your facts are wrong. The UK brewery brewed Guinness for the UK market. One of the articles you
(link) posted even says so. I've found further
articles mentioning the same point. I knew that already and that's been the sole point of my argument. You failed to prove anything and even your proof still doesn't tell me anything different than what I already knew.
The Guinness brewery in Dublin exports beer. I don't have definitive "proof" for that yet, but I've e-mailed a source that will probably be able to clear it up for me. I'll share that when it comes in. However, I know that the Dublin brewery exports kegs to some parts of Europe. I'm only assuming that the Dublin brewery is the distribution point from where you are quaffing your fine Guinness.
5. I don't know if Ryser was offended or not, but I've noticed you seem to like to disagree for the sake of disagreement. I highly doubt you can prove that a small pub outside of Dublin has better beer than a pub in Dublin. That was a broad statement that should have been taken that way--which everyone following this thread did, except for you. Blame it on internet, but most of us North Americans would probably give our left nut to drink a pint in Dublin. I'm sure it would taste better just for the fact you are there. That's what Ryser meant, IMHO.
6. Last, don't go assuming you are talking to some hick who has never left my hometown. I've been outside of the United States. I've been active military for almost 15 years, and its afforded me the opportunity to see my share of countries (Germany, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Honduras, Panama, Korea, to name a few). My point though, without going into extensive details, is that I frequented an Irish pub in Germany that served Guinness from Ireland. I became good friends with the Irish bartenders, the owners, and many Irishfolk who frequented the place. The owner got his Guinness from Ireland, as the Guinness brewery still distributes beer to foreign countries. I'm not sure on the exact standards of where and how much goes out, but I know I've had authentic Guinness OUTSIDE of Ireland. You can believe your theory that Ireland has the "good" Guinness monopolized, but its just not true.
