So I got to thinking (I know; that's a very dangerous thing, for me!). I (like many reading this, I suspect) have probably drank more pints of Guinness in my lifetime than any other beer. When I started drinking first, Smithwick's was what I drank. In the very early days(early 70's), I would ask for a pint of Smithwick's shandy and hope that my companions would think I was drinking pints of beer.
I always felt that I would somehow "graduate" to Guinness, and become a "real Irishman". Indeed, I clearly remember my first pint of Guinness. It was in Searson's at Rathmines bridge. The occasion was Leeds United versus Ujpest Doza in the UEFA cup. My mate (a Guinness drinker) said "a pint, yeah?" and I said "sure" and started watching the TV. Then this pint of black stuff was thrust in my hand. I was taken aback, thinking "I'm not ready yet" but went ahead anyway. There was reasonable flavour to it; a nutty malty quality that has long since dissappeared. From that day on, my first preference had changed.
If someone had told me that in 2009, I would be back drinking Smithwick's again in preference to Guinness, I would not have believed them. But that is now the case; if there's no decent brews to be had, I will muddle through with a Smithwick's.
So will I be raising a pint of Guinness at 17.59 today? Will I feck!
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