GUINNESS—THE POUR.

GUINNESS—THE POUR. On our trip to Ireland last year we confirmed our belief in the health benefits of Guinness. We also learned something about how Guinness is served. There should be a wait until the Guinness head forms and it takes on its true color. We were usually served with a shamrock outlined on the top of the head and told to wait for that to fade before drinking. We have been told, after returning to the States, that the shamrock is drawn only for Americans (which is fine. I am proud to be an American tourist.) You can find Youtube videos demonstrating the series of steps in a proper “Guinness Pour”, but I have had difficulty in linking to them. This wikipedia article says that the Guinness pour should take 119.53 seconds, which is probably a marketing man’s way of saying “two minutes”. Guinness should be poured into a distinctive glass, a fact which has some scientific importance, as I will explain in the next couple days.