Why is Guinness always so bad in hotels

Degag

Degag wrote: »

Washing glasses in detergent is a big problem. Detergent should only be used to clean the dishwasher. Glasses for the most part only cleaned with clean water.

I don't know how true it is but in days gone by barmen apparently polished glasses as part of the morning routine.

2ndcoming

the beer revolu wrote: »

Would you find the same agreement on what five pubs sell the best Heineken?
If not, why not?

You might, I don't drink Heineken. I agree with that point though, it's one of the first lines in my post above. Good properly run pubs will take the proper care required to deliver all their drinks to the optimum. To a large extent any differences between these Tier 1 establishments is mostly atmospheric or in the eye of the beholder. For me it's The Palace bar on Fleet St. It may not be quantifiably any better than any other first class establishment but to me it tastes a level above.

Of course there are many 2nd and 3rd and 4th class establishments where the quality of all the beers go down a level each time accordingly, not just the Guinness.

Where we disagree is that you don't see the cultural importance of Guinness over Heineken or Tuborg and put it all down to marketing mumbo jumbo. There is more to it than that for myriad reasons. Whether you like it or not it's the 'National Drink', Guinness only drinkers attribute a near religious reverence to it and that's why the quality of a pint of Guinness is a talking point and the quality of a pint of Tuborg is not. It will be ever thus...

L1011

Augeo wrote: »

I don't know how true it is but in days gone by barmen apparently polished glasses as part of the morning routine.

Wouldn't be particularly much use when the same glass is then used and washed multiple times over the course of the day!






As for the atmosphere element - I have yet to have anyone tell me of somewhere that is otherwise a horrible place to drink that has "good" Guinness let alone entering the exhalted list that are oddly nearly always all Victorian city/town or traditional rural pubs.

DelmarODonnell

L1011 wrote: »

Wouldn't be particularly much use when the same glass is then used and washed multiple times over the course of the day!






As for the atmosphere element - I have yet to have anyone tell me of somewhere that is otherwise a horrible place to drink that has "good" Guinness let alone entering the exhalted list that are oddly nearly always all Victorian city/town or traditional rural pubs.

This is the thing, it is always the same old pubs that get referenced as having the best Guinness, in Dublin anyway. You could have Arthur Guinness himself running a cocktail bar and you’d have some fella on Instagram giving the Guinness a 5/10 because the taste was a bit too soft and the rings didn’t stick to the glass well enough.

Obviously up until the 50s/60s and Guinness being pasteurised and kegged, the quality could vary a lot from pub to pub. Most of the pubs in Dublin with a great reputation for Guinness – Mulligans, the Palace, Grogans etc have had the same reputation for decades.

I genuinely think the Guinness quality discussion in the pub has survived mainly due to it's ability to generate small talk. All of us repeating the same boring conversation our fathers and grandfathers had with their mates in the pub in the past - an alcohol based version of talking about the weather.

the beer revolu

2ndcoming wrote: »

You might, I don't drink Heineken. I agree with that point though, it's one of the first lines in my post above. Good properly run pubs will take the proper care required to deliver all their drinks to the optimum. To a large extent any differences between these Tier 1 establishments is mostly atmospheric or in the eye of the beholder. For me it's The Palace bar on Fleet St. It may not be quantifiably any better than any other first class establishment but to me it tastes a level above.

Of course there are many 2nd and 3rd and 4th class establishments where the quality of all the beers go down a level each time accordingly, not just the Guinness.

Where we disagree is that you don't see the cultural importance of Guinness over Heineken or Tuborg and put it all down to marketing mumbo jumbo. There is more to it than that for myriad reasons. Whether you like it or not it's the 'National Drink', Guinness only drinkers attribute a near religious reverence to it and that's why the quality of a pint of Guinness is a talking point and the quality of a pint of Tuborg is not. It will be ever thus...

From that post I can only garner that you agree that Guinness being somehow more prone to variance than any other beer is complete nonsense.
Whether people are talking through their holes for cultural reasons or not is immaterial to me.

I might make the argument that the reason Guinness has this cultural mythology is down to a hundred years of extremely good marketing and shrewd business practices, nothing more.

Effects

2ndcoming wrote: »

There is more to this than "Guinness bolloxology", the importance of the quality of a pint is attributed by Irish people themselves because the act of having a pint of Guinness has cultural significance.

mrmorgan

apparently that time in Offaly, Guinness were there for weeks to make sure the pint was Great...


and they also said that if they paid for the marketing they got out of it, would have cost 25 Million

Effects

I heard the keg came from the US, to make sure it couldn't have been tampered with.

irish_goat

Effects wrote: »

I heard the keg came from the US, to make sure it couldn't have been tampered with.

Sure everyone knows it doesn't travel well though.

Effects

irish_goat wrote: »

Sure everyone knows it doesn't travel well though.

Not to mention how much of an expert Obama is on Guinness.
I've heard he can provide a league table of the best pint in the top 5 pubs in his hometown.

2ndcoming

That wasn't the point, as you probably know. Apologies for enjoying drinking with my pals like a normal person without going to a Tedtalk about what type of yeast was used in the production first like an American hipster dweeb.

Ballso

Effects wrote: »

Not to mention how much of an expert Obama is on Guinness.
I've heard he can provide a league table of the best pint in the top 5 pubs in his hometown.

Lucky the pint wasn't pulled by an Eastern European wha

Effects

2ndcoming wrote: »

Apologies for enjoying drinking with my pals like a normal person without going to a Tedtalk about what type of yeast was used in the production first like an American hipster dweeb.

You just spouted on about how important it is that Guinness is revered, how important it is to our culture and how marketing is actually really important to the drinking process.

Then you complain about people who care about how something actually tastes?

partyguinness

I suppose as well the 'perception' of a great pint adds to the overall 'craic' on a night out.

partyguinness

partyguinness wrote: »

I suppose as well the 'perception' of a great pint adds to the overall 'craic' on a night out.

............... sinking creamy pints of Guinness, nothing like it

partyguinness

Augeo wrote: »

............... sinking creamy pints of Guinness, nothing like it

Guinness or Murphy's is definitely the best to get drunk to (always drink responsibly). Great buzz and I am the best craic in the world and everyone's friend- flying form.

Whereas beer/lagers turns me into an asshole and liable to do anything mostly ****ed up ****. Not to mentioned sick as a dog afterwards or even on the night.

odyssey06

partyguinness wrote: »

I suppose as well the 'perception' of a great pint adds to the overall 'craic' on a night out.

What you like to drink is ultimately a subjective experience, so why not make it more so. I don't just like Guinness but 'good' Guinness. It's as defensible an experience as preferring Guinness to Murphys to X or Y other product / or pub X to pub Y.

My scientific curiosity would be intrigued if someone could do an analysis of pints from a supposed 'good place' v a 'no name' place.

But to return to the OP's original question, presumably the Guinness Quality Time might hit pubs every 4 weeks but how often do they hit hotel function rooms I wonder? Or even pub function rooms.

noby

odyssey06 wrote: »

But to return to the OP's original question, presumably the Guinness Quality Time might hit pubs every 4 weeks but how often do they hit hotel function rooms I wonder? Or even pub function rooms.

The same rate.

hetuzozaho

noby wrote: »

The same rate.

Damn, we were so close! Looks like it might be just a load of rubbish so

jt69er

odyssey06 wrote: »

What you like to drink is ultimately a subjective experience, so why not make it more so. I don't just like Guinness but 'good' Guinness. It's as defensible an experience as preferring Guinness to Murphys to X or Y other product / or pub X to pub Y.

My scientific curiosity would be intrigued if someone could do an analysis of pints from a supposed 'good place' v a 'no name' place.

But to return to the OP's original question, presumably the Guinness Quality Time might hit pubs every 4 weeks but how often do they hit hotel function rooms I wonder? Or even pub function rooms.

Post #85.

Lewis_Benson

Its grand in the Clayton hotel in cork city right now.
I didnt spot the murphys tap until I'd ordered my pint though.

Andrew00

Drives me mad when some teenagers or mainly young wan is pulling ur pint

These c*nts may as well just do a straight pour cus when they do the 2 part pour they fill the glass up right to the top on the first step

odyssey06

jt69er wrote: »

Post #85.

Ok scratch that theory so.

I am still curious so. I have had lovely pints of Kilkenny, and v poor ones. And the reputation of the pub for a good pint or how Victorian it was does not explain it either. Nor does how busy the pub was. Hmm.

Lewis_Benson

Andrew00 wrote: »

Drives me mad when some teenagers or mainly young wan is pulling ur pint

These c*nts may as well just do a straight pour cus when they do the 2 part pour they fill the glass up right to the top on the first step

Doesnt make any difference.

ITman88

Keadeen Hotel Newbridge, best Guinness I ever tasted!

jt69er

odyssey06 wrote:

I am still curious so. I have had lovely pints of Kilkenny, and v poor ones. And the reputation of the pub for a good pint or how Victorian it was does not explain it either. Nor does how busy the pub was. Hmm.

We are always looking for a reason why tonight's pint isn't quite the same as the pints last week. We're thinking is it the glass, the lines, the person pouring the pint etc. Sometimes we need to look at ourselves, especially this time of the year when our taste buds are working overtime with all the different food & drink being consumed. Maybe it's ourselves that's a bit off, not the pint.

odyssey06

jt69er wrote: »

We are always looking for a reason why tonight's pint isn't quite the same as the pints last week. We're thinking is it the glass, the lines, the person pouring the pint etc. Sometimes we need to look at ourselves, especially this time of the year when our taste buds are working overtime with all the different food & drink being consumed. Maybe it's ourselves that's a bit off, not the pint.

No I have to disagree with that. It might be sometimes what we have just eaten \ drank before affects taste buds, or if you have a cold, but not always.
I can tell the difference between wines of different grapes in a blind taste test - or for same bottle, register the taste of different vintages.
I can tell when one pint of the same beer is different and Kilkenny differed noticeably.

If there are people here who are saying Guinness differs at times then I'm inclined to have an open mind on that. Not sure what the causes \ factors are in the variance but it's an phenomenon that's there.

jt69er

odyssey06 wrote:

No I have to disagree with that. It might be sometimes what we have just eaten \ drank before affects taste buds, or if you have a cold, but not always. I can tell the difference between wines of different grapes in a blind taste test - or for same bottle, register the taste of different vintages. I can tell when one pint of the same beer is different and Kilkenny differed noticeably.

I actually did say sometimes!

partyguinness

Andrew00 wrote: »

Drives me mad when some teenagers or mainly young wan is pulling ur pint

These c*nts may as well just do a straight pour cus when they do the 2 part pour they fill the glass up right to the top on the first step

You should see it in England. Some Weatherspoons you'll find a young wan who will leave the glass on the tray underneath (not hold it) and just pull the tap from a height while nonchalantly looking around. Often one single pour with just a top up to shorten the head.

Ballso

partyguinness wrote: »

You should see it in England. Some Weatherspoons you'll find a young wan who will leave the glass on the tray underneath (not hold it) and just pull the tap from a height while nonchalantly looking around. Often one single pour with just a top up to shorten the head.

The horror!

partyguinness

jt69er wrote: »

We are always looking for a reason why tonight's pint isn't quite the same as the pints last week. We're thinking is it the glass, the lines, the person pouring the pint etc. Sometimes we need to look at ourselves, especially this time of the year when our taste buds are working overtime with all the different food & drink being consumed. Maybe it's ourselves that's a bit off, not the pint.

I have though that myself sometimes. I suppose there is a bit of BS as well.

Lads afraid to come straight and say: "Great pints last night." for fear some Elder shoots him down and he feels like a young pup being scolded.

odyssey06

jt69er wrote: »

I actually did say sometimes!

Fair point ... mea culpa.

Andrew00

Kinda off topic/thread title but,

Another thing I've noticed over the last year is male college students trying to be cool and different by asking for a straight pour.

Thinking they're some sort of porter expert when infact they're just a complete nerd doing some arts degree haha

Ballso

Imagine expecting your beer to be simply poured into a glass! Damn hipsters

Andrew00

Ballso wrote: »

Imagine expecting your beer to be simply poured into a glass! Damn hipsters

Ah its not really that it's the fact they're literally only 21 or 22 and pretend to be bleedin experts and hipsters

partyguinness

Andrew00 wrote: »

Kinda off topic/thread title but,

Another thing I've noticed over the last year is male college students trying to be cool and different by asking for a straight pour.

Thinking they're some sort of porter expert when infact they're just a complete nerd doing some arts degree haha

I remember the Guinness in college. In the new trendy bar it was cold and bitter but it was more drinkable in the old bar. We generally drank Guinness in the old 'grown up' pubs outside the campus but never on mad student nights out. I drank cans of Guinness at parties.

On rounds with beer/lager drinkers everyone hated the Guinness drinker.

partyguinness

Andrew00 wrote: »

Kinda off topic/thread title but,

Another thing I've noticed over the last year is male college students trying to be cool and different by asking for a straight pour.

Thinking they're some sort of porter expert when infact they're just a complete nerd doing some arts degree haha

Are they just trying to get it quicker by any chance?

Effects

I often ask for Guinness in a single pour. It doesn't affect the taste and I don't want to wait at the bar for five minutes instead on one.
I don't care about how it looks or comes across. And I don't care if a barman thinks I'm pretend hipster.
Sure anyone who doesn't wear boot cut jack and jones jeans is a hipster these days.

Ballso

I ask for a three part pour. Checkmate hipsters

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

ya most hotel pints are shíte. but i was in the ballina manor hotel in early November and the pints were class. chatting to the middle aged nordie bar manager who was ordering people around and was moaning that staff don't do things right. good pints of guinness seem to be all about keeping the lines clean which boils down to the staff giving a fúck, this guy obviously did.

Effects

Ballso wrote: »

I ask for a three part pour. Checkmate hipsters

Real hipsters get the first pour from Guinness in a traditional wooden cask, and get the second pour from the new keg.

Itssoeasy

I don't drink Guinness normally but I do recall a few years ago Guinness changed the glass type from a "ordinary" pint glass for lack of a better description to a glass that had moulding on it. I can remember Guinness drinkers in my local demanding to have the old glass. They were saying the pint tasted awful in the new glass but was it a mental thing or is there some truth to it that the new glass changed the taste.

Lewis_Benson

Itssoeasy wrote: »

I don't drink Guinness normally but I do recall a few years ago Guinness changed the glass type from a "ordinary" pint glass for lack of a better description to a glass that had moulding on it. I can remember Guinness drinkers in my local demanding to have the old glass. They were saying the pint tasted awful in the new glass but was it a mental thing or is there some truth to it that the new glass changed the taste.

People are idiota.
It will taste the same served in a teacup........FFS

L1011

You get people demanding the era of glass they grew up with too, if available - but then they forget and get used to it.

The standard shape for a Guinness glass now (excluding those extremely tall heavily moulded ones that I don't think are around anymore - but I would not have Guinness often) is not the same as it was in the 80s and absolutely is not the same as it was when nitro draught came out and the two part pour was invented to keep the same delivery time lag as the two cask system had.

odyssey06

Lewis_Benson wrote: »

People are idiota.
It will taste the same served in a teacup........FFS

Ive tasted the same wine - from same bottle - from different sized and shaped glasses and it tasted noticeably different. I didnt believe it would happen. Mostly down to how your sense of taste and smell combine.

I dont know how Guinness would be affected but sometimes the vessel does have an impact on taste.

mrmorgan

Guinness out of the newer glasses is terrible

JustAThought

Slopped in one pour into a pint glass flat beneath the tap like an everyday beer. Guinness should reintroduce spot checks for premises allowed to carry theor product and make sure the bar staff give a damn and actually know how to pour one -in 3 parts and right -not one belch.

L1011

odyssey06 wrote: »

Ive tasted the same wine - from same bottle - from different sized and shaped glasses and it tasted noticeably different. I didnt believe it would happen. Mostly down to how your sense of taste and smell combine.

I dont know how Guinness would be affected but sometimes the vessel does have an impact on taste.

With wine glasses you're generally getting quite different amounts of headroom and opening diameter - this is going to have some impact on airing and so on

Pretty much all recent beer glasses have nearly identical opening diameters and are filled to the top. And older glasses were shorter and wider and everyone got used to any change (if any) in perception from drinking from them.

Ballso

L1011 wrote: »

You get people demanding the era of glass they grew up with too, if available - but then they forget and get used to it.

The standard shape for a Guinness glass now (excluding those extremely tall heavily moulded ones that I don't think are around anymore - but I would not have Guinness often) is not the same as it was in the 80s and absolutely is not the same as it was when nitro draught came out and the two part pour was invented to keep the same delivery time lag as the two cask system had.

It's not the same beer in the glass either

Effects

L1011 wrote: »

Pretty much all recent beer glasses have nearly identical opening diameters and are filled to the top. And older glasses were shorter and wider and everyone got used to any change (if any) in perception from drinking from them.

Marketing people in beer companies want to have the tallest glass, because they think it stands out more and it means something. Not because it affects the taste, but because they think it gets their drink noticed more.