Aaaahhhhhh...

Pleased to see the Mudcat is still full of boozers!

Thanks for the memories - i haven't had a Guiness in the best part of a year. even that wasn't 'proper' - I'll never find a real Guiness in New Zealand I guess - Sigghhh ... ;(

Methinks the only true Guiness is brewed in Dublin, with Liffey water, and is then strained through a pair of Brendan Behan's old sox!

My tuppence worth on Guiness in NZ (remember when a beer cost tuppence?) ....

It's brewed here, half a world from Dublin, so it isn't 'proper'.

To the best of my knowledge a Guiness Tap in a pub MUST be on a separate system from the other over-chilled beers. It seems temperature control is critical (ca 'room temperature'). I've never investigated the use of Nitrogen as opposed to CO2 - but it seems to make sense.

The 'shamrock' flourish is pretty standard practice ..

As is 'wait time' for a Pint to Pour (ours are 500 - not 600ml - Grump Mumble). It's great - gives me time to load and light me pipe - but that may soon be a t'ing of the past. "Smoke Free Bars" could be serious soon. A Guiness without a pipe? Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!

Anyway ....

I'm just home from the Pub - Bar staff automatically give my (almost) pint of "Speights Old Dark" (nearest we have to Guiness on tap) a quick zap in the microwave. Many visitors to the Island freak out (apart from older Pongolians, who remember the 'red-hot-poker'...;)

Anyway, McGrath and Joe - Hve a Guiness for me - it'll be a while before I see another one!

Slainte - Sam