A rush of beer to the head

Sir, – Recent letters on stout-related matters may have stimulated interest in the history of the brew. Readers might like to know how the creaminess of Guinness on draught was an accidental byproduct of Guinness’s move from wooden barrels to metal casks. When the Irish publicans took advantage of this change to speed and ease delivery to the bar by using a top pressure of air on the casks, drinkers found that the product was smoother and less bitter. Guinness investigated this and found that the cause was smaller bubbles from dissolved nitrogen in the stout. It then built this feature into the process. – Yours, etc,

TONY CAREY,

(Retired Guinness

brewer and Diageo

READ MORE

pensioner),

Enniskerry,

Co Wicklow.