If you plan to enjoy a true Irish beer this St. Patrick’s Day, best be prepared to wait a while.
“I’ll actually ask people who order a Smithwick’s if they want to order a drink while they’re waiting for it to pour so it can actually be poured correctly,” says Juliana Gobbell, bartender at local Irish pub The Honest Pint.
Smithwick’s and Guinness are the two most-popular Irish beers at the pub, she says. An Irishman taught Gobbell the proper Guinness pouring technique, which is done in stages. The dark stout ale is poured on draught over a nitrogen gas tank. The glass is held at a 45-degree angle a little bit away from the tap so it doesn’t touch and then is filled about three-quarters of the way full. The glass is allowed to sit two minutes, and then the lever is pulled slowly forward until the glass is filled. “It helps to get the creamy head on top,” she says. “They swear by it in Ireland that it makes it taste different.”
The Smithwick’s is also poured in stages and takes 10-15 minutes total if done correctly. “You have to let it settle,” Gobbell says. “When it comes out of the tank it looks like complete foam.”
For those who want something less heavy, Highland Gaelic Ale out of North Carolina is a good choice. “It’s kind of like a lager,” she says. Magner’s