Yeah Gareth,

You are right onto the essentials - the temperature of the beer...

Guinness, or any other Real Beer chilled to 2°C???

My mind boggles - Simon probably puts ICE in his whisky!!!

It just ain't right! "Cellar Cool" (a tad below "ambient") is the correct temperature for Real Beer, as you so rightly point out, Gareth. This can be achieved by the sacking, a water-drip and an open window (with a draught) - none of your Heath Robinson electric fans needed...;)

Which is exactly the way my "booze-fridge" worked 50 years back.

Alas, the American "lager-cold" chilled beer hit NZ about 40 years back, and the country has gone downhill ever since.

And furthermore the Auzzies beat us at Rugby yesterday.

Life's not worth living...

Sam (a REAL Kiwi Bloke)