St. Patrick’s Day 2014

Happy St. Patty’s Day (or is it St. Paddy’s Day).

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Guinness. Maybe a few months ago was the last time I remember having one. So I had to seek out a 4 pack of cans at my local grocery store so I could enjoy a tasty and flavorful beer for this Irish holiday.

Dark and Tan

I normally prefer a pilsner, but every so often I branch out to the darker beers. And there’s nothing darker than a Guinness. The foaming head has such a great look to it, it’s hard not to pass up the dark and tan invite. Poured into a pint glass or something fancier, it has a wonderful appearance to it.

But of course, appearance only lasts so long. Each swig and swallow of this beer went down good.

There are many black and tans and dark and tan brands, blends and brews that are similar to Guinness, but only one can be called Guinness. Since 1759. And going strong to this day.

Plastic Ball

After emptying the 14.9 oz contents of the can into my glass, I heard a noise in the can. I didn’t know this noise since most of the time I get Guinness on tap at the bar. So I used a pair of pliers to open up the top of the can and found the plastic ball, which is obviously used to keep the contents of the can separated during travel from the brewer to the store to your home. Or so I thought. I did a quick search and found this link that explains why this plastic ball inside the can is important.

The plastic ball is known as a widget and it helps keep the combination of the foam and dark beer when it gets poured into your glass. It’s a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 that releases with every pour. Guinness Genius!

Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day to have a Guinness. Go have one anytime. It’s an enjoyable dark beer and one that has a good flavor over any common pilsners and lagers.