Debate ignites over perfect Guinness pour after controversial comments by London barman

An Irish barman who owns bars in London has controversially claimed that there no need for the two pour policy for a pint of Guinness.

It has long been established that a pint of time needs adequate time to settle. 

A London bar owner has claimed, however, that there is no need for stout be poured in two stages – to two-thirds of the glass and the final third after a minute of resting time. He says not following this time-honoured procedure doesn’t affect its quality or taste.

Nate Brown, an Irish bartender and the owner of Paloma Café, Soda & Friends and Nebula cocktail bars in London, says the rest is simply a marketing ploy by Guinness.

“This isn’t done for the beer’s sake; it was practice in the Guinness brewery to speed up serving the masses at home time — the brand has always had the savviest of marketing departments,” he wrote in the FT Magazine.

However, he does acknowledge it was important to watch the “sacred dance [of] frothy white micro-bubbles falling faintly, cascading into the darkness”

Guinness has long advised pouring its stout into a pint glass at a 45-degree angle until it is three-quarters full; allowing the bubbles to surge or cascade for precisely 1 minute and 32.5 seconds and finally topping the pint up by pushing the tap handle forwards, which limits the power of the flow.

This method stems from the addition of nitrogen to Guinness during the late 1950s. Before this, bartenders would three-quarters fill a glass with relatively flat Guinness, before topping it up with a more frothy stout from a high-conditioned cask. The addition of nitrogen, which produces smaller bubbles than the carbon dioxide in standard beer, simplified the process.

According to the Guinness Storehouse, the pour matters: "If you thought any old method would do when pouring Guinness, think again! The proper pour is integral to the Guinness experience, impacting everything from the taste to the presentation. It's all about the famed two-part pour, a process requiring the ultimate blend of patience and precision. You see, a beautifully poured Guinness isn't just a drink; it's a masterpiece". 

And the patience required before you receive the perfect 'pint of plain' was probably never illustrated as well as the advert above.