Why is Guinness always so bad in hotels

PhilOssophy

Hardly ever have I been in a hotel that served good Guinness, or even fairly alright Guinness.
Why is it that its always so bad in hotel bars?

punisher5112

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Hardly ever have I been in a hotel that served good Guinness, or even fairly alright Guinness.
Why is it that its always so bad in hotel bars?

Wait for others to drink it 1st as if you get it at the start the lines will give a funny taste.

Quite possible not enough drinking it or lines aren't cleaned properly or enough.

Bassfish

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Hardly ever have I been in a hotel that served good Guinness, or even fairly alright Guinness.
Why is it that its always so bad in hotel bars?

I've often wondered the same and I suspect the setting and surroundings has some influence on how much you enjoy a pint. I've had pints of Guinness in swanky five star hotel bars, marble bar counter, paper doily napkins, barman calling me Sir and it just feels wrong. If you gave me precisely the same quality pint in an old pub with and open turf fire and no technology except radio one playing, I guarantee I'd enjoy the pint far more. Obviously just a mental difference but I think you have to be comfortable in the surroundings to truly enjoy a pint.
I may also be talking nonsense, I dunno!

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.

where are residents going to go Christmas and boxing Day FFS.

elperello

In a bar that is open every day there will be a short time when no beer is served ie. overnight. This means the beer isn't left too long in lines.

Often in a hotel the function room bar will be closed for days on end. You will usually get a better pint at the front bar.

Also in a regular bar there is more contact between the barman (often the proprietor) and the customers who will let him know fairly quickly if the pint is not up to scratch.

Salary Negotiator

Poor line maintenance coupled with longer than usual lines. You need more people drinking than usual to keep the lines flowing.

One hotel non Galway I worked in had about 25 pints in the lines so each day the first 25 Guinness were muck and unless there was quite a few drinking it they were all muck.

endacl

Deleted User wrote: »

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.

where are residents going to go Christmas and boxing Day FFS.

Stephen’s day.

FFS.

elperello

Wren Day

For Heavens Sake

PhilOssophy

Its not just function rooms, etc though, even bars in hotels its generally brutal

kennypowers

Agree with the op .Iv never got a decent pint in a hotel.
I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of keeping the glass washer just for glasses .In hotel bar you can see milk jugs food plates etc being chucked into a glass washer.Plus untrained bar people pouring into a freshly washed hot glass.

feargale

endacl wrote: »

Stephen’s day.

FFS.

Whatever floats your boat. Why are we Irish traditionally so intolerant of difference? In my experience Irish people of a certain tradition tend to say Boxing Day, as do English people, and probably people without religion too. Should we be upset to hear people say movie instead of film, or film instead of picture?

From Tangmalangmaloo:

"Come, tell me, boy," his lordship said in crushing tones severe,
"Come, tell me why is Christmas Day the greatest of the year?
"How is it that around the world we celebrate that day
"And send a name upon a card to those who're far away?
"Why is it wandering ones return with smiles and greetings, too?"
A squall of knowledge hit the lad from Tangmalangaloo.


He gave a lurch which set a-shake the vases on the shelf,
He knocked the benches all askew, up-ending of himself.
And so, how pleased his lordship was, and how he smiled to say,
"That's good, my boy. Come, tell me now; and what is Christmas Day?"
The ready answer bared a fact no bishop ever knew -
"It's the day before the races out at Tangmalangaloo.

andekwarhola

Bassfish wrote: »

I've often wondered the same and I suspect the setting and surroundings has some influence on how much you enjoy a pint. I've had pints of Guinness in swanky five star hotel bars, marble bar counter, paper doily napkins, barman calling me Sir and it just feels wrong. If you gave me precisely the same quality pint in an old pub with and open turf fire and no technology except radio one playing, I guarantee I'd enjoy the pint far more. Obviously just a mental difference but I think you have to be comfortable in the surroundings to truly enjoy a pint.
I may also be talking nonsense, I dunno!

A huge part of the Guinness experience is subjective feeling due to great marketing.

coastwatch

I think the serving temperature is the problem most of the time. A degree or two above the 5 or 6C changes the taste completely for me.

tuxy

coastwatch wrote: »

I think the serving temperature is the problem most of the time. A degree or two above the 5 or 6C changes the taste completely for me.

For better or worse?
Remember when you had the choice of regular guinness or extra cold.
Then they just removed the regular and all was served extra cold to try to appeal to younger drinkers.

coastwatch

tuxy wrote: »

For better or worse?
Remember when you had the choice of regular guinness or extra cold.
Then they just removed the regular and all was served extra cold to try to appeal to younger drinkers.

I dont think it's as good either warmer or colder than 5-6C, but warmer is worse for me.

jt69er

Extra cold has been gone for years, quality is down to glassware maintenance.

bobbysands81

feargale wrote: »

Whatever floats your boat. Why are we Irish traditionally so intolerant of difference? In my experience Irish people of a certain tradition tend to say Boxing Day, as do English people, and probably people without religion too.

Nobody in Ireland says Boxing Day.

hetuzozaho

jt69er wrote: »

Extra cold has been gone for years, quality is down to glassware maintenance.

It really is a fragile liquid the 'ol Guinness
How they even manage to move it around at all!

elperello

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Nobody in Ireland says Boxing Day.

That an order then?

Relax and have a Guinness (in a proper pub of course)

L1011

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Nobody in Ireland says Boxing Day.

Except for about half of Donegal at least

Salary Negotiator

L1011 wrote: »

Except for about half of Donegal at least

Think he means no “real” Irishman.

elperello

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Think he means no “real” Irishman.

No real Irishman drinks Guinness in hotels.

Carawaystick

The Glenmalure Hotel has some of the best Guinness in the world...
Kegs under the counter
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.9575298,-6.3536216,3a,75y,28.85h,75.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sl2dcXOuo2n_pYbh0mjzP7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

BeerNut

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Nobody in Ireland says Boxing Day.

Only southerners say "Stephen's Day". It's "Boxing Day" up north.

flanzer

Funnily enough, 4 or us played golf on the Saturday before Christmas in Portmarnock Hotel of Golf Links. When we came in from the 18th, we noticed a couple of lads sitting down with what looked to be like decent Guinness. So we ordered 1 for each of us. The Guinness was so good we ended up staying for 5 more and ringing 2 of our wives to pick us up

10/10 for the Guinness in Portmarnock Hotel of Golf Links!

jt69er

hetuzozaho wrote: »

It really is a fragile liquid the 'ol Guinness
How they even manage to move it around at all!

All beers react badly to badly maintained glassware.

hetuzozaho

jt69er wrote: »

All beers react badly to badly maintained glassware.

I was coming more from the Guinness is so special! You won't find people discussing Heineken down the local

What's the best pint of Heineken in town lol

chooseusername

Carawaystick wrote: »

The Glenmalure Hotel has some of the best Guinness in the world...
Kegs under the counter
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.9575298,-6.3536216,3a,75y,28.85h,75.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sl2dcXOuo2n_pYbh0mjzP7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Keg near pump = short draw.
discard first pint if pump not used in a while,(unless it's for american tourist or suchlike)
Is "ullage" still sent back ?

L1011

I *think* Ireland moved to a non return / duty free allowance per keg system a while ago; which massively improves the logistics (although was probably less then the average return). However I may be misremembering that!

irish_goat

flanzer wrote: »

Funnily enough, 4 or us played golf on the Saturday before Christmas in Portmarnock Hotel of Golf Links. When we came in from the 18th, we noticed a couple of lads sitting down with what looked to be like decent Guinness. So we ordered 1 for each of us. The Guinness was so good we ended up staying for 5 more and ringing 2 of our wives to pick us up

10/10 for the Guinness in Portmarnock Hotel of Golf Links!

Much like when you walk into a traditional bar and see an open fire and a few old lads drinking pints, you'd probably already decided the beer was gonna be good at that stage. :P

jt69er

chooseusername wrote:

Keg near pump = short draw. discard first pint if pump not used in a while,(unless it's for american tourist or suchlike) Is "ullage" still sent back ?

If keg is under counter then there is only a fraction of a pint in the line. There is no reason in any bar to throw perfectly good product down the drain.

chooseusername

jt69er wrote: »

If keg is under counter then there is only a fraction of a pint in the line. There is no reason in any bar to throw perfectly good product down the drain.

Ok, I'll edit that;

Keg near pump = short draw. discard save first pour ,equal to what the pipe from keg to pump holds, for some annoying know-all if pump not used in a while,(or for american tourist or suchlike) Is "ullage" still sent back ?

mickdw

How does the glassware effect the pint?
Very interesting.
It does seem to be fact that places that don't have the kegs very near the pump have a crap pint even when sending out hundreds of pints.

Glebee

I know of many a pub with Guinness kegs right under the taps and the pints can be very dodgy. One pint is lovely, the next you would not put in a cake..

Ginger83

My cooler is right beside my keg and about 4-5ft to tap. Great pint

tuxy

Despite the insane price and plastic cup I find Guinness served at gigs to taste good because it's just a tap connected to a keg with no line. Nothing to go wrong.

Strumms

tuxy wrote: »

Despite the insane price and plastic cup I find Guinness served at gigs to taste good because it's just a tap connected to a keg with no line. Nothing to go wrong.

The pint in the Olympia is always fantastic...

Getting to the bar which is about 10 deep to get it however....

jt69er

chooseusername wrote:

Keg near pump = short draw. discard save first pour ,equal to what the pipe from keg to pump holds, for some annoying know-all if pump not used in a while,(or for american tourist or suchlike) Is "ullage" still sent back ?

No, ullage / waste is not sent back.

jt69er

tuxy wrote:

Despite the insane price and plastic cup I find Guinness served at gigs to taste good because it's just a tap connected to a keg with no line. Nothing to go wrong.

This is not the case, you cannot connect a tap straight to a keg.

n97 mini

jt69er wrote: »

This is not the case, you cannot connect a tap straight to a keg.

Despite it not happening in reality, you actually can. The line between the coupler and the the tap can be as short as you like.

jt69er

mickdw wrote:

How does the glassware effect the pint? Very interesting. It does seem to be fact that places that don't have the kegs very near the pump have a crap pint even when sending out hundreds of pints.

The condition of the glassware is probably one of the most important factors which determines the quality of the pint when it reaches the customer.

completedit

Don't see the deal. I'd love to know what guiness tastes like to others. To me it's grand. First few sips are wholesome but after that just loses its luster

Beautiful with some blackcurrant in it tho. Game changer

elperello

Sup of cider before the pint does great things to the taste buds.
Just a drop of someone else's cider is enough.

jt69er

n97 mini wrote:

Despite it not happening in reality, you actually can. The line between the coupler and the the tap can be as short as you like.

Beer has to pass through a cooler before it reaches the tap, so in theory the keg can be as far away as you like, the most important bit is between cooler & tap.

tuxy

completedit wrote: »

Beautiful with some blackcurrant in it tho. Game changer

That's racist! :mad:

Strumms

Guinness and black is fine if you are somewhere the Guinness might not be the may west and you don’t just fancy beers or shorts...or a White Russian

mrmorgan

it's dublin airport I cannot understand...

worst drink in the world for the amount they sell

Strumms

mrmorgan wrote: »

it's dublin airport I cannot understand...

worst drink in the world for the amount they sell

It’s very hit and miss there, times you go up and it’s delicious like perfect, I’ve had it other times and barely drinkable...it’s always excellent in the Slaney and Gate Clock but mixed results elsewhere...

the beer revolu

Strumms wrote: »

Guinness and black is fine if you are somewhere the Guinness might not be the may west and you don’t just fancy beers or shorts...or a White Russian

It seems very odd to drink Guinness if you don't fancy beers?

RasTa

n97 mini wrote: »

Despite it not happening in reality, you actually can. The line between the coupler and the the tap can be as short as you like.

Mongfinder General

Don't ever drink Guinness from a bar that doesn't sell much of it or is closed for long periods. I remember drinking two pints of Guinness in a pub in London before going on to a night club. I was only in the door and sharted. What I unleashed on the jacks was an unholy terror. A dodgy pint of that stuff can open the gates of hell. Embarrassing.