Does Guinness taste better in Ireland? Maybe.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Today, we’re all Irish. Put on green, grab a Guinness and offer a hearty Sláinte to your friends at the bar (fyi, pronounced Slawn Cha). Many pints of Guinness Stout will be hoisted today. I bet ten bucks you’ll hear someone say, “Guinness is so much better in Ireland.” 

So, is it true? Yes and no. 

I’ve heard many stories of my Irish great-grandmother who married a Welshman. So going to Ireland has been a dream since I was a kid, and June and I finally made it last September. Ireland is an amazing place to visit. I highly recommend it if you have the means. 

The people are friendly and kind. The entire country is gorgeous and driving on the left side of the road is fun! The fish and chips are delicious, but don’t expect coleslaw like you get in America, you’ll have to make do with mushy peas. The beer was great, including many small breweries that are crafting modern American styles. Yes, there is good Hazy IPA in Ireland. 

But to the question of the hour, is Guinness really better over there? 

I’ve heard some wild stories about why it is. Someone told me they add sugar to the American version. They do not. I’ve heard they brew different versions for Europe and the US. They do not. And there are many more stories as to why, all are BS.

Guinness is Better in Ireland

• Of course it is. Fresh beer is the best beer. You don’t get fresher than a pint at the Guiness Storehouse.
• Every bar in Ireland pours Guinness properly. A proper pour, the “Double Pour,” takes 2 minutes. Check out this video from the Guinness Storehouse Gravity Bar.
• The pubs there all appeared to take care of their draft lines. I never got a hint of drinking beer from dirty lines. Clean draft lines make beer taste like it’s intended. 
• And finally, there’s just something about drinking a pint of Guiness in Dublin. It’s a spiritual experience.

But Guinness can be great in the US

• Yeah, Guinness isn’t as good here, but it can be darn close if you’re getting fresh beer from clean lines. But fresh is relative. US Guiness comes over on a boat, it’s got a month on it before you ever drink it. 
• I stopped at a local Irish bar when I returned from Ireland to test this idea out. I know they go through a lot of it, so you can assume they have fairly fresh kegs. But it tasted like they hadn’t cleaned the lines in a month or two. It had a buttery taste, a clear sign of dirty line diacetyl. 
• But I’ve also worked at St. Pat’s events where we poured brand new kegs through super clean lines, with a proper Guinness tap. It tasted great. Not much different than what I had all over Ireland.
• Look for pubs doing a proper pour. If they fill up the pint in one pour, that’s wrong. And if they pour in a Shamrock on top, that’s very wrong. 

So in the end, the best taste of Guinness is what you should expect from any pint of beer anywhere  – fresh beer poured through clean draft lines. 

If you’re curious about a trip there, hit us up. We have a lot of recommendations and can’t wait to go back ourselves.

P.S. If you’re watching your alcohol intake, try a pint of Guinness 0.0. It’s alcohol free and really close to the original. It’s become a go to beer for me. And by far, the best Non-alc beer in the world.