Guinness Week Part II: Swift Hibernian Lounge

At St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, barley, hops, yeast, and water are brewed together to make Guinness. This Sunday, over 13 million pints will be consumed, and as St. Patrick's Day approaches, we thought we'd devote the entire week to the beautiful elixir. So tag along as we uncover five of our favorite places to get a perfect pour.

The appreciation for Guinness reaches all corners of the globe, but it's important to note the regional differences that exist in the beverage. Irish Guinness is brewed to 6% alcohol by volume and remains unpasteurized. In the states, the two most significant differences are 1) It's lower in alcohol and 2) It's pasteurized. To allow for export, Guinness sold to North America is brewed to 3.5% and then pasteurized to ensure stability on the arduos journey across the Atlantic.

After the malted beverage arrives, it falls into the hands (and glasses) of some of the city's finest bars, pubs, and watering holes. At these locales, glassware, the pour (always in two runs), storage temperature, and the cleanliness of tap lines all play a role in what ends up in your glass. After Friday, we will have only scratched the surface, but if you happen to make it to any of our favorites Sunday or anytime after, your pour will be in good hands.

Swift Hiberian Lounge has over 50 bottles of beer, and while there are also nearly two-dozen draught options, we always go for one: Guinness. Their pint ($6) is one of the city's finest and as you enjoy it, you might hear Wilco and Neil Young crooning over the speakers. The high ceilings, dark wood, and caricatures painted on the walls make for a great drinking den; an easy place to spend thirty minutes or an entire afternoon swallowed in Irish charm.

Guinness taps deliver a surge of nitrogen and carbon dioxide into every pint. It's what gives the draught it's rich, smooth, velvety texture and creamy, frothy head. At Swift, after the initial pour, the glass is set aside until the mocca-colored bubbles subside. Allowing them to do so gives guests a chance to watch as they rise to the top of the glass and leave the classic, deep, dark porter stout beneath. You can see what's called the "nitrogenation" happening in our picture from the second pour. Sometimes a pint won't be delivered until this step is complete, but at Swift, you get to watch it close up. Just don't take a sip until the bubbles finish their ballet.

Swift Hibernian Lounge | 34 East 4th Street, Manhattan | 212-227-9438 | www | map

Part I - An Beal Bocht Cafe