Pub Guide

JHMEG wrote: »

The also stock Galway Hooker

It's been gone from Sin É since late last year. Is it back?

catsalleycru wrote: »

How does it not affect the taste ?!

How would it? It's exactly the same beer. Can you think of any substance where pouring it in two goes makes it taste different to pouring it in one?

Draught Guinness in a can is to be poured in one, according to the instructions; the ball-lock Guinness taps in the O2 pour pints in one; the makers of Guinness are well aware that there's no taste difference in pouring a pint in two parts versus in one, otherwise these things wouldn't exist.

Saruman wrote: »

I believe the only reason (and Beer Nut can probably confirm/deny this) that Guinness uses the two part pull is it is a traditional throw back to pouring cask ale. A two part pull (using a hand pump) means you get the max amount of beer in the glass rather than waste some over the sides.

The story often told is that a pint of Guinness was poured (on gravity rather than handpull) from two separate barrels. One was the fresh and fizzy beer straight from the brewery, the other had been left to mature in the pub cellar to flatten and pick up some of the sour brett character from the barrel wood. Both barrels were stacked in the barroom and were known as "high cask" and "low cask". A barman would fill two thirds of a glass with the fizzy fresh beer and then leave it for the foam to subside before topping off with the older beer to add extra flavour. There was a definite skill in blending the beers like this, and presumably a good barman would know how his various regulars preferred their pint to be assembled. Getting a good pint depended on the skill of both the cellarman and barman in keeping and serving the beer properly.

The myths that Guinness is fragile and inconsistent, that it requires a two-part pour, and that there's a specific skill to pouring it, all stem from the high-cask, low-cask days. Which, as you say, Guinness eradicated in the late 1950s/early 1960s in favour of a more homogenous, stable and (most importantly) cost-effective product. Why the drinkers didn't put up more of a fuss is beyond me. I suspect it was because this was Modern, and it's only in the last couple of decades that our worship of Modern has been superceded by our worship of Authentic.

So now, of course, Guinness is promoted as Authentic, Traditional, Old-Fashioned, even though today's pint has roots no deeper than 50-odd years.

Diageo wrote:

Are we drinking the same GUINNESS® today, as in Arthur's day?
Basically yes.

:rolleyes:

Thought I'd add in my own to this thread.

Derry Pubs

Bound for Boston: Nice pub to spend the night in, has live music everything weekend and karaoke on a Sunday which is always good craic. Decent selection of draught beer including Hoegaarden, Staropramen, Bass, Leffe Blonde and Castlemaine as well as all the usuals. Upstairs has a great pool room. Caters for the younger crowd 17-30 but has a few older regulars too. Tends to be dead during the day and it's a big open pub so you can feel even emptier.

Masons: Gets a similar crowd to the Bound For. Has some European beers in bottles (Erdinger and Peroni anyway) and usually has live music which can sometimes be great and sometimes drown the place out if they're too loud (it's a small enough bar). Upstairs has different kind of nights on and they do a great comedy club on the first Thursday of every month. Has drinks offers on during the week too.

Dungloe: Average pub, nothing of real interest other than it's clean, has friendly staff and nice clientèle and a covered beer garden.

Paeders: Very traditional pub, has trad music on a lot of nights and does great pints of stout and Smithwicks. Interior is lovely, full of old glass mirror advertisements and Irish stuff (even has a lambeg drum and a sash on the roof). Tends to fill up with young tourists as well if that's is/isn't your cup of tea. Great pub to go to for meeting new people as everyone seems to be dead friendly in the place.

Gweedore: Connected to Paedars but often has less tourists and puts on live music (not trad). Always a decent crowd here and the pints are good.

Tracey's: Classic pub, does good pints, has nice regulars and never has loud music or rowdyness in it. Great for a pint during the day or a quiet night with just friends.

Castle Inn: A real "old man's" bar. Very small interior usually with just regulars in it. Again, like Tracey's, there'll be no deafening music and you can get a decent pint in peace there.

Forte Inn: Often overlooked by a lot of people because it's hidden in the Craft Village(bang in the city centre) but the Forte is a great wee pub. The barstaff are all pretty sound and they do decent food during the day too.

Sandinos: Downstairs is pretty small but very intimate. It tends to be a hangout for the local socialists so is full of soviet style decor and cuban bits and bobs but there's no politics shoved down your throat. Has a nice selection of foreign beers in bottles and also does good coffee. Tends to fill up with young Europeans visiting. Upstairs on a Friday and Saturday is a great nights craic (and much bigger than downstairs).

Metro: Probably best described as a "discobar" the Metro is where young people and middle aged folk both head. Drink is normally cheap enough with pints on offer most of the time and the music is always recent chart stuff. Tends to be busy most nights of the week. Great bar for watching sports during the day as they have several screens and have several sky multi rooms i.e you can get the GAA on if there's a Man U match etc on at the same time.

Downeys: Similar crowd to the Metro and is connected to the Sugar nightclub. Upstairs is full of pool tables and the pints are decent. Always has a few about it during the day so it's good for a daytime pint.

Wetherspoons - Diamond: I'm a fan of Wetherspoons, they do cheap drink and more importantly, they have a huge selection. They've always got 3/4 ales on cask which cost anything from £1.39-£1.70 and they do lots of European beers in bottles and plenty of spirits with free mixers. The Diamond has a mixed clientele, during the day it has regulars and people in for food and then at night it has regulars and loads of young people who are drinking there before heading to their venue for the night. It does tend to attract a lot of drunkards who can't handle their drink but I've never seen any hassle and the staff are pretty good.

Wetherspoons - Ice Wharf: Exact same menu etc as the Diamond ^^ but gets a slightly different crowd, a more of a "clubbing" crowd I suppose. Slightly more noisy and more open/public than the Diamond.

Strand Bar/Jack's Apartment: Recently done up so has a new, clean interior and kinda has a "funky" look to it. Only been once and karaoke was on and tbf, it was great craic. Probably won't go back anytime soon though. Tends to attract a younger crowd 18-30.

Becketts: Never been in at night but has people about during the day. Nice pub to sit in if you're waiting on a bus as it's beside the depot and they do good pub grub too.

There's a few more pubs in the city centre but none really of note and none you're probably likely to stumble into if you're visiting. For those looking for a choice of different draught beer there really is a complete lack other than the 2 Wetherspoons and the Bound for Boston.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Aren't you supposed to swirl some weissbiers before the end in order to pick up the sediment?

Ha! Fair point. Any homogenous substance, then.

Springerman wrote: »

Hi there!

Looking for best spots to hit for day sesh in Dublin, for today Wenesday, starting 4pm-> Late!

Cheers!

Porterhouse Temple Bar. http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/templebar.html

Get yourself some decent beer and their burgers are a good feed too. Prices are reasonable for the city centre too.

Lads, what time do the decent craft beer pubs shut/which is open latest? Gonna be getting into Dublin late tonight and need to waste a few hours before heading to the airport.

AFAIK, Anseo is the only one that does.