Go Bragh Yourself

Date: March 17, 2007
Time: 15:40
Place: O'Roosevelt Island Penthouse

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all!

I used to drain a considerable amount of Guinness but due to my immobilization brace from the notorious rotator cuff surgery, I will not be able to share a jar with the crowd on this one.

The first place I acquired the taste was Tom O'Reilly's Pub on Lexington Avenue in the early 80's. The legend is that when St Patrick's Day fell on a weekend they moved something like 28 barrels of Guinness, which was an impressive total for a bar that size.

At some point in the 90's, Guinness came up with a new gas system for its taps. Prior to that, it was very important to only go to places where they would kill a barrel in no more than two, preferable one, day(s). The beer (I know, it's stout) would go flat pretty quickly and acquire a sour and unctuous taste, sort of what I'd imagine lemon juice in milk would taste like. I've never tried lemon juice in milk so I can't say for sure. It's one of those things that the poison control center suggests as a rapidly effective, home-made emetic.

The nitrogen taps did a lot to improve the barrel life of the Guinness. You can get drinkable Guinness in many more places now. It still helps if it moves quickly.

Slainte.