Guinness. The beer. The myth. The legend.
So you're on the hunt for the best Guinness in Toronto? Before we get to the list, a brief history of the beer, in 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a lease for the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin for 9000 years (really) at an annual rent of £45. Guinness, a dry Irish stout consumed worldwide that has passed the test of time with flying colours, was born in this very brewery. The four ingredients that make up Guinness are malted and roasted barley, hops, Guinness yeast and nitrogen. The quality of water used to make the stout is also very specific, ensuring consistent high quality.
I would like to start this guide off with a disclaimer, after consulting with many Irish™ people, the Guinness in Toronto is completely incomparable to the authentic stuff you get in Ireland. By the time Guinness is transported to Toronto from casks in the Emerald Isles, it no longer retains its freshness to the same extent. In Ireland, given its the beer of choice, the kegs are rotated extremely quickly and the draught lines are always clean with the sheer amount of pouring. Also, nothing really beats the atmosphere of an Irish pub. It's why they're located worldwide and why whenever we enter one, a feeling of joy and coziness overtakes us. However, there are pubs in the city that try their best to give Canadians an authentic pour, have lovely atmospheres and, in our opinion, do a fairly excellent job of a tasty Guinness.
My Irish partner was very personally committed to this guide, so he went around trialing every upvoted (yes, there was indeed a Reddit research post) pint of Guinness on draught you can get in Toronto to ensure that they met all the qualifications of a correct pour:
- 45° angle for the perfect head
- 119.5 seconds post-pour rest for the Guinness to "surge"
- Temperature should be 38 degrees
- Tulip glass for prime nitrogen bubble travel
- Clean draught lines to ensure freshness
The science of a Perfect Guinness Pour™ might be intimidating, but there's a reason why it's one of the world's most popular stouts. Here are Toronto's best takes on a pint of Guinness: