Guinness in Shetland

[Guest Anonymous]

Has anyone heard what the future holds for this beautiful stout in Shetland? I've heard that all pubs are replacing kegs with the dreaded 'surger' devices.

If anyone has any news on this terrible rumour.. Please, I need to know.

[GypsyScy]

Oh no!! What a shame! Although I find it nigh on impossible to drink Guinness anywhere but home in Ireland!

Thought these devices were fine for places that didn't have a Guinness tap but for them to replace the taps sounds mad!!!

[Guest Anonymous]

Ah now, y'see.. That brings me to one of me long time hang-ups there.. In so-far as I'm not sure I can visit Ireland. I have a fear that the big G is of such a standard there that what you're served here is.. well, substandard and I'm scared of having to re-adjust.

 

And shaking cans of Guinness in a pub is just criminal!.....

[GypsyScy]

Ha ha!! I've been told so many times (outside of Ireland) that I'm speaking crap when I say the Guinness is different there from everywhere else... but, its so true!! Especially in my local pub 'Shoot The Crows' at 5pm on a Friday evening....ahhh bliss!

Anyway, back to the wine

And in danger of being more so if what you say is right!

[shetlandpeat]

Guinness should be served correctly, I worked in many an Irish bar and folk were fussy and would wait.

My dad used to work at Park Royal so I got an insight to how it was made.

em I guess they are trying to speed up the service. Shame.

 

The best Guinness I have had was from a bottle imported from Jamaica..

[Siccar]

^

Guinness in Shoots on a Friday at 5................. Nithin laek it

[Roswell]

I find it interesting that you refer to the Surger unit as "dreaded".

 

Why?

 

In my opinion, the Surger can actually give you a fresher and better tasting pint than you end up being served in many establishments.

 

I take it you have tasted the Surger cans.

 

I actually drink Surger at home and believe me, I can get a much better pint in the house than I can at many pubs in my town.

[shetlandpeat]

I can understand the at home use, though in a pub, NO.

 

Guinness used to come in their own self contained units, combined gas and barrel but only had 9 Gallons(memory?).

 

They switched to 11 gal barrels and relied then on the landlord to set up the gas, either himself or via a contractor.

 

And since then it was always a boon to find a landlord who took pride in what he serves, em glasses have to be perfectly clean, no bloom or the skin from the previous user of said glass encased in lipstick. The gas and delivery systems have to be maintained to prevent illness and present a perfectly poured drink.

I have worked in ale houses, no gas on most lines except lager, they have now almost gone, a few remain here in Preston, Lancashire, UK and they are the gooduns.

[GypsyScy]

The type of glass is paramount at home, I've seen folk refuse Guinness because it was in a Beamish / Murphys glass, barman have to check if they run out of glasses whether you accept it in anything other than an official Guinness pint glass!!

[shetlandpeat]

As long as there is no Head Keeper (a little pattern etched into the bottom of the glass to create artificial floors to enable the extraction of the gas out or the liquid). If you had a perfect vessel, even champane would not bubble.

 

Guinness sold in such glasses is wrong and should be returned...

 

But, even then there are at least 4 types of Guinness glass, the jug, straight, they curved and the ridged, you could also add the half pint glass issued by Guinness (same shape as the stella (spit) glass, the type with a stem..

 

This is why I say that the art of producing a perfect pint is diminishing.

 

RIP the perfect pint