I do for sure. And there was some "real irish" stuff going down there.
My point is, it was more of a financial model than an attempt at authenticity.
I did enjoy having some bowls of loudmouth soup there though.
if there’s a rira in mandalay bay in las vegas i’m not calling it quite literally an authentic irish pub. and ethically i can’t get behind preying on struggling pubs in ireland to buy decor
Did you live near in the 90’s when all there was was Irish Pubs? In a few years span you had several open up all in the Old Port: Boru’s, Obrien’s, RiRa, Molly Malone’s, Bull Feeney’s. Only so much corn beef & cabbage one can take.
Oh man, I didn’t know! That’s where I established my line for Too Drunk: one Memorial Day they gently tossed an old guy out and then went back to hand him his Odor Eater he’d left behind.
I have never been that drunk.
They still have expensive fancy cocktails. Definitely not limited to traditional pub fare, and 3/4 of our (very easy to please) party was unhappy with their entree. You make it sound like Ruski's or Samuel's or something and it's very much not. To me it felt corporate and confused.
I am Irish, Guinness is my favourite pint, they are all very much the same to be honest, I like ruskis as a pub experience that is closest to home, if they had live music on a Friday it would be perfect really but it's probably too small for that.
They give you a 20 Oz at The Continental and it fits the atmosphere and is as good as any Guinness I’ve had. Though I’ll say when it comes to Irish beer I’d take a Smithwicks over Guinness any day
It’s Continental, Lambs and Henry’s at the very top for me. I’d say I like the atmosphere at Lambs best and the pint at Henry’s the most, even if the bar manager thought I was a tourist willing to buy the lie that they’re the only bar that serves a proper pint poured correctly in Portland.
Not trying to be snarky, but aren’t they all basically the same? They just need to add nitrogen to get the right foaming, right? If so, I guess it would be the atmosphere that would differentiate, so I guess I’d suggest Ri Ra, although they’re way more expensive now than they used to be.
Yeah, I like Guinness and stouts are probably my favorite type of beer, but the pour thing literally makes no difference. It was a marketing thing to make Guinness seem different and interesting.
The dispensing is ostensibly the same everywhere but people love fiddling with knobs they don’t understand when beer is pouring foamy. The biggest variable is probably line cleanliness but that’s not really easy to determine.
they definitely vary place to place. most often....not great.
i try a new place every once in awhile.
however, without a doubt, the best guinness ive even gotten was at the old margaritas on brown st ages ago.
Liquid riot’s Irish Goodbye clocks in at like 4% and 90% of the time the bartenders know what they’re doing pouring it. It’s basically a Guinness clone but better. Stay away from their canned version it’s just CO2 and the flavor isn’t specked out for that.
On a side note their IPAs suck and 1/2 their Belgian sours are worth it.
To my way of thinking there are two main factors for a pub pouring the best pint. One is volume and the other is how often they clean the tap lines. Borus won this hands down. The Snug also seemed to be on their game. A place that has Guinness keg on tap but they take two months to empty it is a bad thing. If I’m at a place I haven’t been before and I don’t see pints on the bar, I go for a local brew. Borus was doing something like 8 kegs a week and had their lines cleaned once a month if I remember correctly. I don’t see a lot of Guinness poured at the GLB but I love the place. This week I had a couple of pints at Rira’s and also at Samuels. Both places pour a lot of Guinness – guessing Riras probably much more. How often they clean their lines is a mystery that drives me crazy. I use to ask the Nappi folks (they seemed to be out as much as us) what pubs were selling the most and paying attention to the lines. Yeah, I kinda like Guinness.
In Portland with all it's microbreweries?
Why would you seek out the BLANDEST stout ever created? Served at a temperature too cold to taste?
Go to Bissell Brothers or Lone Pine or any of the 100+ places they brew beer and try their stout!
As a Brit I can not understand the love of Guinness!
Honestly!
Unfathomable!
...and breathe
Despite the dark color, Guinness is actually very light, low calorie, and very low ABV. Very few micro breweries brew light Stouts like that, or add chocolate, or peanut butter, and don't get me started on "Imperial Stouts" at 13% alcohol.
Make mine a Guinness!
I would say I'd agree with the'imperial stouts' argument
Not a massive stout fan, but Guinness could offer so much more flavor if they tried - Titanic brewery out of Stoke so so many great stouts of different flavors under 5% - it just frustrates me
I think you don't understand Guinness. It is a working mans drink, that you can have 6 of at the end of the day while talking nonsense and forgetting about mundane life before heading home and doing the same tomorrow. It's not a beer to pontificate over as you sniff each other's farts.
I probably don't understand Guinness
I'm just amazed that the term stout is predominately defined by its worst variety, like supercars defined by a porche boxer.
Imo in England, I've drunk many stouts at pubs, beer festivals & alike (and in the US - less so in Ireland as it's a very Gness dominated landscape) and they're always an experience - Guinness is just creamflow blandness, like a dark John smiths or worthingtons
I'd say Shay's or Ri Ra simply because it's $6 at both locations. I feel like "best" Guinness poor is interesting because it's right or it's not. Every Guinness poor is the best if it's done correctly from a clean tap line.
RIP Brian Boru
exactly zero authentic irish pubs in portland maine is a travesty
Boru was definitely not an authentic irish pub. Fun place to get hammered though.
it actually used to be, before it turned into club boru
I mean, I've known Laurence since before he opened the place and I was there on its first day. It's never been "authentic" in any real way.
Do you remember Fergus? He was the real Irish behind Brian Boru. RIP.
I do for sure. And there was some "real irish" stuff going down there. My point is, it was more of a financial model than an attempt at authenticity. I did enjoy having some bowls of loudmouth soup there though.
Hey man, that font on the side of the building looks pretty traditional
Puked on the floor so many times
Ri Ra is quite literally an authentic Irish pub since it was constructed using wood from a pub in Ireland.
if there’s a rira in mandalay bay in las vegas i’m not calling it quite literally an authentic irish pub. and ethically i can’t get behind preying on struggling pubs in ireland to buy decor
RiRa in Mandalay Bay is not the same as the pubs in Portland and Burlington.
what does this mean? it’s a chain
It has 4 locations, it's not exactly an Applebee's. Portland and Burlington are legit pubs. Vegas is a mall restaurant.
Did you live near in the 90’s when all there was was Irish Pubs? In a few years span you had several open up all in the Old Port: Boru’s, Obrien’s, RiRa, Molly Malone’s, Bull Feeney’s. Only so much corn beef & cabbage one can take.
RIP The Snug
Man I miss ordering a brewski while Michelle cut off dickhead drunks and called them cunts on the way out. Good times
Oh man, I didn’t know! That’s where I established my line for Too Drunk: one Memorial Day they gently tossed an old guy out and then went back to hand him his Odor Eater he’d left behind. I have never been that drunk.
RIP Bull Feenys as well 💔🍺
That place was terrible >_<
We used to laugh at the downstairs bartender there trying to fake an Irish accent. He was so bad it was endearing.
Doug Foss is a giant scumbag and he has a dumb fucking name too
Yeah, from my brief encounters with him, he sucked
It hasn't gotten better.
[удалено]
They still have expensive fancy cocktails. Definitely not limited to traditional pub fare, and 3/4 of our (very easy to please) party was unhappy with their entree. You make it sound like Ruski's or Samuel's or something and it's very much not. To me it felt corporate and confused.
True that!
I just moved back and walked down to Boru’s and was in shock it was closed. I just like stood there thinking I was in another reality.
[удалено]
It’s funny tho that a Starbucks just closed 😂
I am Irish, Guinness is my favourite pint, they are all very much the same to be honest, I like ruskis as a pub experience that is closest to home, if they had live music on a Friday it would be perfect really but it's probably too small for that.
Are you from Ireland, or just American Irish?
From Ireland
They give you a 20 Oz at The Continental and it fits the atmosphere and is as good as any Guinness I’ve had. Though I’ll say when it comes to Irish beer I’d take a Smithwicks over Guinness any day
I agree. I heard Guinness is different in Ireland though. Gotta go there.
went there for dinner tonight. Can confirm. Guinness tasted nice and clean, food was awesome. The Guinness they poured at RiRa was kinda rank.
Murphys is better than Guinness IMO
There’s a saying in Ireland that if you want Murphy’s you feed a horse Guinness and wait
Young’s Double Chocolate, personally. Guinness is good, but the English did this better.
They did a Dry Irish Stout better lolwat
I had a good pint at Lamb's
It’s Continental, Lambs and Henry’s at the very top for me. I’d say I like the atmosphere at Lambs best and the pint at Henry’s the most, even if the bar manager thought I was a tourist willing to buy the lie that they’re the only bar that serves a proper pint poured correctly in Portland.
Not trying to be snarky, but aren’t they all basically the same? They just need to add nitrogen to get the right foaming, right? If so, I guess it would be the atmosphere that would differentiate, so I guess I’d suggest Ri Ra, although they’re way more expensive now than they used to be.
There is actually a specific way to pour a Guinness correctly, beyond just adding a nitrogen line to it. I do agree with Ri Ra though.
Temp of the beer is important as well.
I feel like an idiot now. I guess I’m better at drinking it than serving it haha! Thanks for the additional insight.
The moooooore you know! I also agree with the other commenters that it is more of a gimmick. Nonetheless, there is still a specific way!
This is not actually true anymore. The 2 step pour is an historical anachronism. It doesn't affect the poured pint at all.
Yeah, I like Guinness and stouts are probably my favorite type of beer, but the pour thing literally makes no difference. It was a marketing thing to make Guinness seem different and interesting.
Have you tried Fogtown's Night Nurse?? We just got it on tap and it's fucking delicious.
I will be searching this out.
The dispensing is ostensibly the same everywhere but people love fiddling with knobs they don’t understand when beer is pouring foamy. The biggest variable is probably line cleanliness but that’s not really easy to determine.
guinness pints at rira are $6. among the best deals in town that i’ve found for a pint
I tried once in a dive bar in south portland, not great
O’Reillys Cure in Scarborough has the Guinness perfect pint certificate
Having had worked there, I can say with authority that the certificate is meaningless.
You can get one of those when visiting St. James Gate in Dublin. Just cause I have one doesn't say anything about the Guinness I pour.
Terrible food though
The Continental
Rip the snug…
they definitely vary place to place. most often....not great. i try a new place every once in awhile. however, without a doubt, the best guinness ive even gotten was at the old margaritas on brown st ages ago.
Must've been a hard day
The place that used to be bullfeeni’s
Liquid riot’s Irish Goodbye clocks in at like 4% and 90% of the time the bartenders know what they’re doing pouring it. It’s basically a Guinness clone but better. Stay away from their canned version it’s just CO2 and the flavor isn’t specked out for that. On a side note their IPAs suck and 1/2 their Belgian sours are worth it.
The whiskey is also a HARD pass. Gonna have to go back and try that stout
They don’t age it long enough. They also charge too much.
To my way of thinking there are two main factors for a pub pouring the best pint. One is volume and the other is how often they clean the tap lines. Borus won this hands down. The Snug also seemed to be on their game. A place that has Guinness keg on tap but they take two months to empty it is a bad thing. If I’m at a place I haven’t been before and I don’t see pints on the bar, I go for a local brew. Borus was doing something like 8 kegs a week and had their lines cleaned once a month if I remember correctly. I don’t see a lot of Guinness poured at the GLB but I love the place. This week I had a couple of pints at Rira’s and also at Samuels. Both places pour a lot of Guinness – guessing Riras probably much more. How often they clean their lines is a mystery that drives me crazy. I use to ask the Nappi folks (they seemed to be out as much as us) what pubs were selling the most and paying attention to the lines. Yeah, I kinda like Guinness.
RIP The Snug
Thought I was in /r/Guinness for a second.
The continental
Anywhere…? If you have a tap, you know how to pour it. Bartending 101
In Portland with all it's microbreweries? Why would you seek out the BLANDEST stout ever created? Served at a temperature too cold to taste? Go to Bissell Brothers or Lone Pine or any of the 100+ places they brew beer and try their stout! As a Brit I can not understand the love of Guinness! Honestly! Unfathomable! ...and breathe
Despite the dark color, Guinness is actually very light, low calorie, and very low ABV. Very few micro breweries brew light Stouts like that, or add chocolate, or peanut butter, and don't get me started on "Imperial Stouts" at 13% alcohol. Make mine a Guinness!
I would say I'd agree with the'imperial stouts' argument Not a massive stout fan, but Guinness could offer so much more flavor if they tried - Titanic brewery out of Stoke so so many great stouts of different flavors under 5% - it just frustrates me
I think you don't understand Guinness. It is a working mans drink, that you can have 6 of at the end of the day while talking nonsense and forgetting about mundane life before heading home and doing the same tomorrow. It's not a beer to pontificate over as you sniff each other's farts.
I probably don't understand Guinness I'm just amazed that the term stout is predominately defined by its worst variety, like supercars defined by a porche boxer. Imo in England, I've drunk many stouts at pubs, beer festivals & alike (and in the US - less so in Ireland as it's a very Gness dominated landscape) and they're always an experience - Guinness is just creamflow blandness, like a dark John smiths or worthingtons
You win curmudgeon comment of the day! Thanks for the laugh
Only been a few times for matches, but Dock Fore surprised me.
I'd say Shay's or Ri Ra simply because it's $6 at both locations. I feel like "best" Guinness poor is interesting because it's right or it's not. Every Guinness poor is the best if it's done correctly from a clean tap line.