With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, there is no better time to learn the art of the perfect Guinness pour. Rich in both taste and tradition, mastering the Guinness pour has become a rite of passage for bartenders across the globe. The proper pour impacts everything from the taste to the presentation.
First, you need a dry, cool "tulip glass", known by its flower-like shape. And while rumors swirl about Guinness being "a warm beer", the perfect pint is chilled at a cool 5-7 degrees Celsius. The correct temperature keeps the gas inside the beer at its proper balance. Warm beer will foam due to overexcited CO2, while beer that is too cold won't allow ideal head formation and retention.
To pour, tilt your glass at a 45-degree angle and fill a little over half way. Now - let the pint surge and settle! Put your glass down to rest and watch as the darker stout slowly sinks under the creamy, white foam. Once settled, fill the rest of the glass - but this time, keeping the glass straight. Fill until the foam forms a slight dome over the top to achieve that beautiful Guinness head.
A true stout fan will savor the time it takes for the beer to cascade as the gases regulate, which Guinness maintains is a scientifically precise 119.5 seconds. But who's counting?
Sláinte!