Nitro Project

Nitrogen infused beer has very little and sometimes no CO2. CO2 gas has a sharp metallic bite and is a big part of most beer. Those bubbles add more than mouthfeel, they add flavor and they also help to bring out aroma.

Nitrogen is inert. It offers a unique texture and a pretty pint but little more. It is seen by many (around here) as somewhere between an interesting diversion to , and I'm quoting, The Work of the Devil.

It's ok to not enjoy Nitro infused beer. Brewers are experimenting and trying to get some sales, but it doesn't always work.

Lastly, Nitro beer is required for Guinness. It is the way the British intended it to be, and any Englishman worth his salt will tell you that Guinness on Nitro is tradition and can not be questioned. They absolutely love to tell Americans about this, so be prepared.

Cheers.

 

The "Nitrogenation" process to serve the beer known as Guinness Draught has only been a "tradition" for a bit over half a century, developed in the period of the late 1950s-mid-1960s. Grnated, that's a long time for many BAs, but not long for a company that claims to be over 250 years old.

Supposedly it took twenty more years for Guinness Draught to outsell Guinness Extra Stout in its home market of Ireland (where it was introduced in 1964), according to Guinness brewer/spokesman Fergal Murray. In the US, the nitrogen-draft was still quite rare into the 1980s - half of all Guinness - bottled and kegged - in the US was sold in New York in 1979, where only 33 bars served the draught.

(I'll let someone else post on the "British/Englishman" comments concerning this Irish-brewed beer from an Ireland-based brewery [yeah, even if it parent company Diageo is headquartered in London]).

 

I didn't expect you to take the bait Jess.

 

Too subtle on your part, given the "controversial" topic and the many such posts that often do appear in such threads, I guess. Well, that's my excuse, anyway.

I did wonder if you were a victim of identity theft right before I hit "send"...

 

In fact I have a pretty good idea that the myth of "Guinness tastes better in Ireland" has its roots with the introduction of nitro. It was used in the UK but in the Republic Guinness was still cask conditioned and there was a considerable ceremony attached to pouring it. Often the bar would mix beer from different aged casks and to allow rime to settle many pints were poured ready before the first customers arrived.
We do still have the "Guinness pour" but that's basically bullshit.