It ain't coca cola, kids
Written: Jul 16 '01 (Updated Jul 17 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: This is special stuff; God's nectar in a glass.
Cons: Cons? Guinness? Nope.
The Bottom Line: Let the naysayers laugh. Little do they know: your Guinness is a far tastier treat than their Zombies will ever be.
|
|
|
| sulkn's Full Review: Guinness Stout 2404b |
Ay, the first sip. The first sip of Guinness, to the uninitiated, is a shock. It may have the colour of Coca Cola, but it ain't Coca Cola.
This is where, it seems, many people end their Guinness experience. "This isn't Bud Lite!" they exclaim, or "I prefer Labatt Blue." Or, more often, they say simply: "Yuck! How can you drink that?"
I admit, my first sip of Guinness probably garnered a similar reaction. Of course I was barely of drinking age and accustomed to sweet rums and cokes and watery beers. I didn't know what I was doing. In short, I didn't know the World's Best Beer when I tasted it.
Several years have passed (I'm still far from an old man) and Guinness is now one of my favourite draughts to order in a pub. I'm a little upset at the amount of advertising that Guinness has been plastering around this area lately; before, I felt like I was special. A special kind of guy because I drank Guinness and others didn't. Now I feel like a bandwagon jumper. Oh, well, at least they haven't messed with the recipe, "New Coke" style; the Irish would never be stupid enough to mess with tradition, I suspect.
One of the best parts about Guinness is the way it looks. Dark and creamy, smooth as glass with bubbles so small they are almost invisible. The head looks like it was squirted into the glass from a can of a Cool Whip, it's so perfect. You can sculpt your initials in the top if you like, or perhaps make little peaks in the head, like cake icing. Some say you can balance a quarter on the head but I haven't tried this. When you take that first sip it doesn't so much lower the level of beer in the glass as make a dent in the head. This is special stuff, God's nectar in a glass.
Granted, the after-bite can be a little strong to the inexperienced, but give it a chance and you'll soon find that the flavour is quite tasty. In a way Guinness is not so much a drink, but rather more similar to a meal. A "meal in a glass", as my friend likes to say.
That said, there is one down side to Guinness: it is rather filling. The only time I never order a Guinness is when I'm eating a large meal. I think that a platter of fish 'n' chips and a Guinness might be enough to explode someone of my small stature. Once my meal has digested, however, and has been washed down with other watery ales, I then kick back and order the real stuff.
The ideal place to enjoy a Guinness, of course, is in a pub where you can get it straight from the keg. Be prepared to wait: usually the pouring takes a little longer than other beers, mainly due to the inept (or possibly just busy) barstaff who like to turn the keg tap on and leave your Guinness filling at an agonizingly slow rate while they tend to other patrons. Sadly, this behaviour can lead to the occasional "overflow" when the bartender doesn't return in time, and your beautiful Guinness work of art is soiled with streaks down the outside of the glass. Ah well, it all tastes the same, and that's the key.
If you're at home, however, do not despair! The floating widget in the canned variety of Guinness is there to save your day. As soon as you pop the top on the can the widget activates, foaming your drink in a way that is remarkably similar to that of a pub tap. Hurray for technology! I hear Bill Gates will be implementing a digital version of the floating widget in the next release of Windows.
Let the naysayers laugh. Let them think you are One Tough Man for downing a horrible black concoction. Little do they know: your Guinness is a far tastier treat than their Zombies will ever be.
Cheers.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
sulkn
|
|
Member: Gary
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
A 30-something web developer in Toronto, Canada.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.