Since it’s St. Pattie’s Day, I find it appropriate to talk a little bit about a fine Irish beverage from the great city of Dublin. Some say you can make a meal of it. Whether you can have one or many, a pint of Guiness is a great way to celebrate on this day, and just about any day for any occasion. I remember (yes, I do) that Guiness was a large part of my 21st birthday.
It is truly unique, different from pretty much any other beer, or beverage of any sort. It’s thick, rich, and pitch black. The foamy head is almost cream-like. At first, it may take a few sips to really get a handle on it and begin to enjoy it. It’s a real beer…Bud Light need not apply.
Seeing the process of pouring the perfect pint can be magical. Angle, pour, let sit for about 3 min, watch the clouds tumble about and settle, pour once more. You have to be patient, it can not be rushed. It’s pretty impressive, I have to say. A bar or pub without a dedicated Guiness tap falls short of my expectations a bit.
What makes Guiness so special? thenaked scientists.com asked this question of Charlie Bamforth, Professor of Beer and Brewing at the University of California at Davis.
Well, there are many excellent beers, some of them very light, some of them very dark. The colour of Guinness® is due to roasted cereal, roasted barley. They have a very intense heating process. The sugars and the amino acids and the grains are cooked together to give very, very dark colours. They give very roasted flavours. The foam: one of the main reasons why Guinness® foams so well is, apart from CO2 producing foam, they use nitrogen gas to give it extremely stable foams. The bubbles contain nitrogen gas and this is much more stable than CO2. Guinness® pioneered that technology.
Have fun and enjoy. Take a chance, I think you’ll like it.