Guinness and Oysters in Galway

Urban myths annoy us. ‘It’s the biggest council estate in Europe.’  ‘We’ve got the most pubs per square mile in Britain.’  ‘Guinness only tastes good in Ireland…’  Annoying, aren’t they? Which is one of the reasons we’re pleased when Guinness Master Brewer , Fergal Murray, gladly refutes the last of those in a pub in Galway.

‘It’s a complete myth. I’ve absolutely no problem drinking Guinness in London, Nigeria, Ghana, wherever. It’s a psychological thing most of the time. People convince themselves that it tastes nicer and therefore it does. Guinness has the same brewing principles wherever you go in the world, served from the same taps and made with the same techniques.’

Which kind of begs the question: what are we doing in a pub in West Ireland in the first place? Well, not only has the Master Brewer got some expert tips on how to savour the perfect pint of Guinness (see right), we want to sample some of the country’s famous oysters and discover whether this  ‘Guinness and oyster craze’  is actually worth its salt (see opposite). But let’s start with the black stuff…

Drinking the Perfect Pint

with Guinness Master Brewer, Fergal Murray

1 ‘Choose a good pub. A man should feel confident in his drinking environment.’

2 ‘Make sure the barman pulls the pint correctly. There’s a psychological impact if he gets it wrong.’

3 ‘Always look out from your pint. A confident drinker never wallows inwardly.’

4 ‘Break the seal/head to engage with the pint. You’ll make a “double-taste” of both the head and the liquid.’

5 ‘Pull the liquid under the head in two swift, long sips. Fill your whole mouth and energise your taste buds.’

6 ‘The perfectly poured pint should be drunk in seven sips³ leaving seven distinct layers around the glass.’

Pouring the Perfect Pint

1. Select a clean, dry, cool Guinness-branded glass.

2. Hold the glass at 45 degrees and begin to pour.

3. Gradually straighten the glass as the pouring continues.

4. When the glass is almost full, put it down and let it settle.

5. Complete the pour by topping up the pint until the head is formed, rising just proud of the rim of the glass.

6. Present with the badge facing the customer.

7. (Leave them to enjoy it.)

GALWAY: The Home of Oysters

Champagne and caviar is for tossers with a silver spoon lodged in their slack mouths. Guinness and oysters is the raw ‘food trend’ for real men…

THE OYSTER BAR

Moran’s Oyster Cottage

This bar is sat on an inlet of Galway Bay, 11 miles from the city. They shuck and serve both Native and Pacific oysters by the tank-load and the best way of knocking the blighters is with a hefty serving of the black stuff. Roger Moore and the Emperor and Empress of Japan have eaten here. Why? Because it’s the best oyster bar in Galway.

00 353 917 96 113

THE OYSTER EXPERTS

Michael Kelly (Shellfish) Ltd

Oysters are bred here in grade ‘A’ water, which is actually a mix of fresh water from the stream and salt water from the sea. Some people also believe that the mineral mix of granite to the north and limestone to the south helps flavour them. All we know is when we visited them, we picked one straight out of their sea-bed (see picture) and scoffed it eau naturale. It was proper.

00 353 91 796 120

THE OYSTER FESTIVALS

Galway & Clarenbridge
The original is in Clarenbridge (www.clarenbridge.com) and takes place on 12-14 Sep and involves lots of Guinness drinking, oyster shucking and ‘craic’ having. The other one in Galway (www.galwayoysterfest.com) takes place on 25-28 Sep and involves lots of Guinness drinking, oyster shucking and ‘craic’ having. We suggest you fly to Galway, go to one of the aforementioned and get yourself involved in lots of Guinness drinking, oyster shucking and ‘craic’ having.