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All Hail The King
I thought I’d finish up the five days of St. Patrick’s Day madness with the king of Irish beers – Guinness. The beer itself comes in a gleaming black can with the instantly recognizable harp logo on the outside and a clever nitrogen widget hiding within. Many people don’t know it but the fine folks at Guinness actually invented the nitrogen widget. They did this so that the beers they sold in stores would match the quality of their beers when served in the pub. A brilliant concept – beautifully executed. When pouring a pint of Guinness Draught, the widget instantly turns the beer into an inviting tan froth. As…
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Wexford Irish Cream
Today’s beer is the Wexford Irish Style Cream Ale. This beer is draught style. For those unfamiliar with the term, draught style is an attempt to recreate the experience of pouring the beer into a glass directly from a tap and keg. This isn’t necessary for all beers, but when done correctly with the right beer it makes a world of difference. And Wexford does it up right. As the beer pours into my gleaming pint glass the nitrogen widget in the can works its magic. Magic may be too mild a word. With even a gentle pour the entire glass momentarily becomes a sea of swirling, creamy foam that…
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The Beers of Ireland – Part II
I’m a huge Monty Python fan and I’m beginning to think the lads from Guinness are as well. In fact, the motto for Guinness’ new Black Lager should be, “And now for something completely different.” At first glance this beer does appear to be related to the iconic Guinness Draught. It pours a deep black color, just like its bigger brother; utterly opaque and begging you to dive in. A rich two finger head crowned the beer after a strong pour into a dry pint glass. However, in the brief time it took me to carry the beer upstairs the foam had almost completely dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a…