The Guinness Pour - We know how, but why?

[markm2151]

Ok, as any Guinness drinker knows, there's a proper way to pour this wonderful drink.

How to pour it is the easy part. I'm more interested in WHY the double is needed? If you don't watch me pour your Guinness, and I pour one the correct way, and the other with just one pour as with any other beer, could you tell the difference?

Does the flavor change? Does the double pour affect the quality? Or is this just fancy marketing?

 

[aeviaanah]

Ok, as any Guinness drinker knows, there's a proper way to pour this wonderful drink. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d15lJn1r0Mk

How to pour it is the easy part. I'm more interested in WHY the double is needed? If you don't watch me pour your Guinness, and I pour one the correct way, and the other with just one pour as with any other beer, could you tell the difference?

Does the flavor change? Does the double pour affect the quality? Or is this just fancy marketing?

Ive never heard of this but I have a hypothesis.

Possibly the first pour allows the head to settle and condense. One can then gauge where the head is at and add the second to raise the head above the glass. If this was all done at once improper judgement may cause the head to pour over the glass.

 

[ScotBrew]

If you do just one pour by pulling the tap forward you'll get a massive head. You need to let the head settle so that when you push the nitro tap backwards, you get the beer without the nitrogen/nitro mix and it allows the head to 'rise' without adding more head to it.

I've often had people pour me a Guinness incorrectly and you can tell the difference a mile off.

 

[Xpertskir]

They could poor it through the breasts of angels and there are still about a 1000 stouts I'd rather drink.

 

[stevo4361]

Haha awesome. Breasts of angels should be either an attachment for a tap faucet to pour through or the name of a beer.

 

[flars]

I believe it is to make sure the glass has the full flavor from the carbonation and the glass holds a full pint.

 

[d_striker]

The pour was born from their marketing department. The reason for the pour is to obtain the signature amount of head that can be found in all of their advertising. The best sommelier or cicerone in the world would not be able to tell the difference in flavor between the two different pours.

 

[dlaramie08]

they could poor it through the breasts of angels and there are still about a 1000 stouts i'd rather drink.

ha!

 

[pwkblue]

If you do just one pour by pulling the tap forward you'll get a massive head. You need to let the head settle so that when you push the nitro tap backwards, you get the beer without the nitrogen/nitro mix and it allows the head to 'rise' without adding more head to it.

I've often had people pour me a Guinness incorrectly and you can tell the difference a mile off.

This is the correct answer!

 

[zilch]

They could poor it through the breasts of angels and there are still about a 1000 stouts I'd rather drink.

But I drink with my eyes too! Haha

 

[matteroftaste]

It's a throwback to the days when guiness was blended at the bar. First a young portion was poured, then a 'stale' beer was topped up for flavour and carbination. Nowadays the blending is done at the brewery and the beer is served under nitro co2 mix. The double pour is now a traditional style and marketing gimmick.

According to 'red gold and black - a history of Britain's great beers'

 

[438Guinnessfan]

I would like someone to please help me. I love Guinness draft and buy the cans with the widgets by the case. I have the Guinness draft glass and no matter if I do the double pour with the glass tilted on a 45 degree angle for the first pour and continue the correct way, turn the can completely upside down, or try it a billion other ways, I cannot get the head to crown the brim...never even close...the top of the head is always at least a half inch shy of the brim of the glass. I'm in Baltimore, so altitude isn't a factor. Just curious

 

[BaylessBrewer]

I would like someone to please help me. I love Guinness draft and buy the cans with the widgets by the case. I have the Guinness draft glass and no matter if I do the double pour with the glass tilted on a 45 degree angle for the first pour and continue the correct way, turn the can completely upside down, or try it a billion other ways, I cannot get the head to crown the brim...never even close...the top of the head is always at least a half inch shy of the brim of the glass. I'm in Baltimore, so altitude isn't a factor. Just curious

Your glass is a half inch too tall

 

[madhatt3r]

I would like someone to please help me. I love Guinness draft and buy the cans with the widgets by the case. I have the Guinness draft glass and no matter if I do the double pour with the glass tilted on a 45 degree angle for the first pour and continue the correct way, turn the can completely upside down, or try it a billion other ways, I cannot get the head to crown the brim...never even close...the top of the head is always at least a half inch shy of the brim of the glass. I'm in Baltimore, so altitude isn't a factor. Just curious

At the smithwicks brewery, the guy was able to get the head to pop a full half inch out of the glass, forming the "rook" on top of the smithwicks logo.

The trick - coat the entire inside of the glass with a thin layer of beer before going into the actual pour. Then be very incremental. The coating on the inside of the glass helps the head adhere as it reaches the top and pokes out.