Cream rises to the top in Guinness final

LIKE the cream on a good pint, Martin O’Connor’s bartending skills came out on top yesterday.

Martin of The Silver Dollar Bar, Newcastle West, Co Limerick, was crowned Guinness Best Bartender in Ireland at the grand final in Dublin.

Martin was praised by the judges for his quick wit, charisma and excellent pint pouring skills. Four top bartenders reached the grand final. The atmosphere was extremely tense in the Guinness Storehouse, where the grand finalists gathered to battle it out for the coveted title.

As part of the test, they had to pour a pint of Guinness for the judging panel, which included head of quality at Guinness Donal Waddell. The other judges included Limerick publican and former rugby star Peter Clohessy.

A spokesman for Guinness said: “The judges assessed each bartender on the six stages in pouring a great pint of Guinness, which are a clean branded glass, the 45-degree angle at which the glass is held, the two part pour, the settle, the top-up and finally, presentation.”

He said the judges also looked for that special element that in the eyes of the consumer separates great bartenders from the rest.

It was Martin who impressed them the most and he was crowned Guinness Best Bartender in Ireland.

Guinness brand manager Lynne Malone said in the end it was an extremely close competition: “The standard was very high and we were fortunate to meet some really vibrant personalities, who feel so passionate about delivering great pints and a great service to their customers. There was really great sportsmanship between the bartenders, but only one could be the named the winner.”

Martin received a €3,000 winner’s cheque. The three runners-up were presented with cheques for €500.

A customer who nominated Martin will also receive a cheque for €1,000 for their eye to spot a great bartender.