There are three certainties in this life – death, taxes and a pint of Guinness at the races and revellers are set to sink well over 100,000 pints this week at the Punchestown Festival alone
There is nowhere more proud of its stout than Ireland – that’s abundantly clear as you walk through the gates of Punchestown Festival.
In fact, people travel here from all over the world just to enjoy a pint of Guinness. Many claim the quality is far superior in the Emerald Isle, with the Brits drinking sub-standard stout treated without care. They point to a “creaminess” that cannot be replicated elsewhere, due to a lack of temperature regulation. But if you ask the beer giants themselves, they will tell you it’s all a “complete myth”.
“There are 284 quality checks per brew so the process from a quality perspective is very robust,” a spokesperson tells me. “But it is the last two metres of the beer’s journey that’s all important – temperature, gas, clean lines, glass and the signature two-part pour.
“Our global quality team in Dublin work with all of our regional quality managers and brand ambassadors to implement our Guinness 7Cs programme for the on-trade, ensuring that the beer is poured in the best possible condition. The team has tasted and rated pints all over the world.
“We also measure performance through our Guinness Quality Index, which helps markets focus and invest in the areas that they need to”.
So, what are the “7Cs” that make the iconic brew fit to drink? It starts with the right gas – a strict mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide that gives the beer its signature creamy head.
It needs to be stored and dispensed at the right temperature, which sits between 5C and 7C. Then there’s clean lines, spotless glassware and consistent freshness, with a high turnover of kegs and excellent counter visibility.
Finally, a proper pint must be well-presented, resting for just under two minutes after the initial pour to allow bubbles to settle.
In the interests of science, I decide to try the magic method for myself. And where better to have a go than Punchestown? After all, we’re just a 39-minute drive from the historic St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, where the drink has been made since 1759.
Nestled near the back of the course is a bar covered with Guinness branding. It’s full of punters getting a pick-me-up between races, who assure me I’ve come to the right place. “Make sure you split the G,” one quips.
Liz, who works behind the bar, has years of pouring Guinness under her belt and comes equipped with plenty of tips. Still, when I finally get to the pumps, it feels like a baptism of fire.
She hands me a plastic cup branded with the Guinness logo and tells me to “tilt my glass and pour.” I give it my best… which it turns out is “awful.”
It seems there’s an art to pouring Guinness I’ve never considered before. It’s all in the pour, the tilt and the rest. The pump itself is perfect, installed just days ago and featuring the brand’s nitro technology, so I can’t exactly blame my tools.
But is the black stuff really better in Ireland? Personally, I’m not convinced. Many pubs in London have built their reputations on the promise of “proper Guinness”, like the Devonshire in Soho, which sells around 20,000 pints a week.
Still, many Irish Guinness fans insist their home nation is the only place for it. They point out the UK’s supply is all brewed in Dublin, so it has to be transported across the Irish sea before we can drink it.
Liz says the drinks giant used to send out secret shoppers to see if the pour was up to scratch. A mysterious van branded with “Guinness quality control team” would apparently show up at the racecourse before celebrations kicked off – but the company refuses to confirm or deny this.
In the end, the only test that really counts is to take a sip. I can’t deny I’m impressed. It’s smooth, creamy and filling – better than any pint I’ve had before – and worth every penny of my £6.33. The Irish really can do it better.
I turn back to Liz and ask her opinion. Does she prefer a Guinness in Ireland? “I don’t know,” she admits. “Can’t stand the stuff.”
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