How to Pour the Perfect Pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day, According to Science

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, beer drinkers from all over the world are no doubt flocking to get their hands on a pint of Guinness.

But pouring the perfect Irish stout is harder than it looks, and drinkers are often left with goggle-eyed. the horrors of huge foamy heads.

Luckily, help is at hand as scientists have discovered the perfect way to pour a pint, whether it be from a draft drink, a bottle or a can.

Unlike lager or IPA, which can be poured straight into a pint, the key to Guinness is two-part.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day.

For tenders in bars and pubs, Guinness has developed a different

For tenders in bars and pubs, Guinness has developed a different “two-component” fill to achieve the perfect slump.

Scientists have uncovered the perfect way to pour a pint of Guinness, whether it's from a can, bottle or tin.

Scientists have uncovered the perfect way to pour a pint of Guinness, whether it’s from a can, bottle or tin.

For tenders in bars and pubs, Guinness has developed a different “two-component” fill to achieve the perfect slump.

THE GUINNESS GUIDE FOR POURING A PINT FROM A BOTTLE

  1. First, store the bottle at a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius for at least a day.
  2. Open the bottle and tilt it and the glass towards each other at a 45 degree angle. They must not touch at any stage
  3. This must be poured in one go until the end of the bottle is reached.

It is recommended to pour Guinness Draft into a dry glass at a 45 degree angle until it is about three-quarters full.

The pourers are then asked to let the bubbles settle before finally filling it to the top.

If you’re pouring from a bottle, the Irish stout company recommends taking a similar approach, tilting the bottle to the glass at a 45-degree angle, not allowing the two to touch at any point.

But this time it can flow out in one go until the end of the bottle is reached.

Guinness explains: “Pour slowly, at one time, the bottle must not touch the glass at any stage. When you get to the end of the bottle, the head will be just above the top, creating a nice tanned head. Your perfect Guinness is now ready to serve.”

Despite this advice, Professor William Lee of the University of Huddersfield has suggested that pouring could be a much faster process that is now “more marketing than physics”.

He explained: “It has become a time-honored ritual in pubs around the world. Most of this time is occupied by subsidence. But this time period is as much about marketing as it is about physics. You may be waiting longer than the next beer, but that’s how it’s meant to be.”

Guinness bubbles are filled with nitrogen, he says, while most beers are carbonated with carbon dioxide.

If you're pouring from a bottle, the Irish stout company recommends a similar approach, tilting it to the glass at a 45-degree angle, preventing them from touching at any stage.

If you’re pouring from a bottle, the Irish stout company recommends a similar approach, tilting it to the glass at a 45-degree angle, preventing them from touching at any stage.

The £25 'groundbreaking' electronic fixture allows fans to experience the 'ritual' of a two-piece Guinness spill at home.

The £25 ‘groundbreaking’ electronic fixture allows fans to experience the ‘ritual’ of a two-piece Guinness spill at home.

GUINNESS GUIDE TO GUINNESS FILLING

  1. Take dry clean glass
  2. Pour Guinness Draft into it at a 45 degree angle.
  3. Stop pouring when it is three-quarters full.
  4. Let the bubbles settle
  5. Drain remaining liquid

Unusually, the bubbles in a pint of Guinness also sink rather than rise, which he claims is due to the shape of the glass walls that push them down.

“When it sinks, it takes the bubbles with it. That’s why you see sinking bubbles in Guinness with little bubbles being carried away by the current,” he added.

In a piece of advice that will fill many Guinness lovers with dread, Professor Lee recommends drinking the drink from a giant cocktail glass.

In video for Tech Insider in 2018, he said: “Each Guinness is supposed to be poured into a specially made tulip glass. But this glass is designed to manipulate the bubbles in the beer, turning the pour into a performance, making you wait longer than necessary.”

In response, Anna McDonald, Beer Category Marketing Director at Diageo GB, said: “The great tasting pint of Guinness Draft is served with our famous ‘two-piece’ filling. First, pour Guinness Draft into a clean, dry pint glass tilted at a 45 degree angle until it is three-quarters full.

‘Now it’s time to wait! Let the wave settle before filling the glass completely to the top, creating the perfect pint!”

If you want to make pouring a pint even easier, the engineers at the Dublin brewery have also released an “ultrasonic” device called the Nitrosurge.

‘Innovative’ electronic gizmo worth £25 is attached to the neck of a Guinness jar and a perfectly even jet of liquid pours out of it – as if from a draft.

After arriving in Ireland in September 2021, the Nitrosurge device is now available at Tesco and will roll out to other UK retailers later this year.

“We know people want to be able to enjoy the iconic two-part pour and the cool, smooth taste of Guinness wherever they are,” said Neil Shah, head of Guinness GB.

“With Nitrosurge, we’ve pushed the boundaries of technology to give Guinness lovers an enhanced bottling experience that delivers great tasting Guinness every time.”

WHY ARE THE BUBBLES IN A PINT OF GUINNESS FLUSHING?

The bubbles in stouts seem to fall when they are poured, while in lagers they rise from the bottom, but why?

Recent studies have shown that stout the bubbles “fall” due to the traditional shape of the drink glass, which usually curves from top to bottom.

This changes the density of the liquid inside the glass as the bubbles move away from the wall.forming a dense area at the edge.

This area sinks under its own weight because it is less buoyant than the surrounding liquid, dragging the bubbles with it.

Essentially, bubbles obey the laws of physics in the sense that they “try” to rise through the liquid, they are simply pulled down by the circulation of the liquid.

Recent studies have shown that stout bubbles

Recent studies have shown that stout bubbles “fall” due to the traditional shape of the drink glass, which usually curves from top to bottom.