Eoin Barry’s pint of view in America

A Cork man with a deep passion for stout has set out on a campaign to improve the quality of the pint of Guinness across the water.

Not all heroes wear capes but when duty calls, Douglas native Eoin Barry will don countless creamy stouts in a brave effort to establish a standard for the perfect pint of Guinness in Boston, United States.

Having emigrated to the US seven years ago, Eoin has now taken it upon himself to launch Boston Guinness Reviews, a social media campaign which sees the Leesider visit pubs across the ‘City of Notions’ (as it’s known to some) in an effort to find the perfect pint of the black stuff while dolling out some authentic, homegrown advice in the process.

Speaking to the Cork Independent, Eoin said there were many reasons he felt obligated to start Boston Guinness Reviews, one being the need to put an immediate end to the “bad pour”.

“The bad pours are the bishops collars, bubbles, no dome to the small pours as the American pint glass is smaller than the Irish pint glass, no lacing on the glass which makes the head go flat quickly,” Eoin explained.

“We saw a decline in the Irish pub in Boston which is a big part of the Irish and Cork culture in Boston, from trad music to Irish dancing, storytelling, and just a meeting point for many other Irish people.

“I feel if the Irish pub is gone from Boston, then the Irish culture will be gone, so we try and promote Irish local pubs rather than the chain bars,” the Corkman added.

Describing his perfect pint of Guinness, Eoin said: “The perfect pint for me is in a Guinness-branded tulip glass, which is hard to find over here in the States. So, usually it’s served in a Guinness gravity glass, aka the fancy Dan glass, but you can you can still get a good pint out of the fancy Dan glass!

“The perfect pint of plain for me would be a head not too high and without a bishop’s collar, no bubbles, and a nice dome with a high bevel. Then I would normally take a big gulp to find the lacing on the glass and feel the texture for its creamy consistency. Then make sure there is no metallic taste which can happen in a lot in non-Irish pubs in Boston.

“And finally, to finish off the perfect pint, it’s crucial that the Guinness keeps it creamy lacing on the glass and nitro stays in the pint without going flat,” added Eoin.

Eoin says a pint of Guinness can range from $22 dollars in places like the Boston Garden to $6 dollars in Whiteys Pub in south Boston, but on average a pint of plain cost around $8.

He said: “Myself, I think 7 to 8 dollars is a more than fair price for a pint of Guinness. But on top of that, you have to leave a tip!”

To get involved and stay up to date with Boston Guinness Reviews, visit their Facebook page.

There is also a dedicated group page where other enthusiasts can get involved and leave their own reviews.