A London pub owner has revealed why Guinness may taste "worse" in the UK than in Ireland.
With its foamy head and almost two-minute pour time (119.5 seconds, to be precise), the black stuff was traditionally favoured by older men or GAA and rugby teams.
But there has been a renaissance in recent years, with pints of plain on the rise both here and abroad, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Olivia Rodrigo claiming to be big fans.
But those who’ve ever drank Guinness will always tell you, no two pints are ever the same.
The case is most pronounced in the UK and Ireland, with fans of Guinness noticing that there’s something "not quite right" or perhaps "worse" about the pints in the UK.
Now, a Soho pub owner has revealed that it’s not your mind and tastebuds playing tricks on you — as the way pints are poured in the UK is actually different, leading to a different taste.
Oisín Rogers, who co-owns The Devonshire in Soho, says that Guinness comes through the same system as the lagers — meaning that stout is slightly cold, leading to a different taste.
"The biggest difference to Guinness in Ireland and Guinness in the UK is that in most (UK) pubs your Guinness comes through the same system as the lagers," he said, according to Sky News.
"So it’s slightly too cold – it’s too chilled down."
As well as this, the lager and stout are going through the same pipes means that Guinness goes through narrow pipes "really really fast," with the pub’s own Guinness system being unique.
"Our Guinness comes through a proprietary system of coolers and lines and taps, and we really look after it," Oisín explained. "It’s completely separate from the lagers, which runs on a totally different system."
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While the price of a pint may taste better in Ireland, prices aren’t unfortunately getting any cheaper — with Diageo’s price increases to Guinness, Guinness 0.0, Hop House 13, Harp and Smithwicks all going up from Tuesday, February 4.
Industry sources warn that once VAT, duty, and the pub margin are all added in, it’ll be around 30c extra for a pint "at the tap."
This means pints will be well over €6 — and beyond the €7 mark in Dublin.
It is the fourth increase in prices in just over two years, with Diageo adding nearly €1 to the cost of the pint since January 2023.
Ahead of the January 2023 hike of 12c, the average nationwide price of lager was €5.70, while stout was €5.20, according to Central Statistic Office figures.
In November 2024, this had hit €6.25 and €5.82 respectively. Now, drinkers can expect to pay €6.55 for a pint of lager and €6.12 for a pint of stout.
The cost will be heftier in Dublin, where they are expected to surpass €7.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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