The Town Crier, John/Adelaide

We found out about this completely by accident (gasp!) and immediately decided to check this out. Doing some wine deliveries up in Brampton, we were recommended to check this place out for a great pint of Belgian beers on tap (at a very reasonable $5.95/pint mind you). Brampton to downtown in 45 minutes? Check. The place is located within an old townhouse, with some interesting floor configurations, but a smart atmosphere attracting an intellectual crowd. Pleasant for an after-work drink if you're in the area.

They have a lot of beers on tap, I didn't count, but 50 sounds right.  All the proper beers from the proper beer countries are available.  Great selection of British, including an extremely rare Fuller's Honey Dew (not bad at all!) and Boddington's, a bunch of German beers, and of course Belgian as well.  We also tried their Moules Frites and German Meatballs. Great stuff there.  Of course, no Guinness Quest could be complete without a taste of the proper stuff. All beers were fresh and quite good, although a tiny bit of bitterness was detected on the Guinness finish. However, I would say this is a reliable 7 on the Guinness scale.

Score:

Guinness (/10): 7
Atmosphere (/5): 5
Service (/5): 4

Base Score: 16

Bonus:
Boddington's (/2): 2 - great stuff here, definitely recommended!
Food (/2): 1
Fuller's selection: 1

Bonus Score: 4

 

Final Score: 16/20 + 4 Bonus

The Solas, Boston

We love Boston. It's got a charm of its own, not like any other city in North America. We've been lucky to be there several times, and were extremely lucky to have discovered this proper Irish pub right in the middle of the city at the Lenox Hotel. What do they do well? Well, definitely the Guinness.

We started with several pints of Guinness accompanied by traditional Boston fare: the Clam Chowder. Nice and creamy, albeit perhaps a little too much cream. Then we sampled the Fish and Chips (OK), and their Cubano sandwich (not bad). But at the end, the Guinness was what made this whole trip worthwhile (driving down, that was the main goal).

Score

Guinness (/10): 8
Atmosphere (/5): 4
Service (/5): 4
Base Score: 16

Bonus:
Food (/2): 1
Bonus Score: 2

Final Score: 16/20 + 1 Bonus

Guinness Tavern, Paris

I discovered this place almost by accident one day years back while I was living in Paris. It was one of those completely unexpected discoveries, especially since we had already come to the conclusion that a good Guinness is tough in London. And Paris? One word: the Guinness was unexpectedly amazing.

I've been to the Tavern on multiple occasions. There was a darker period over the years when the Guinness wasn't so good, but my last visit proved this is definitely the place to go for a proper pint (or two, or...). Service is very friendly, and they have live music in the evenings. Inside, a real tavern experience, which spills out way into the street in the summer. Even at 6 Euro a pint, it is well worth it.

Score:

Guinness (/10): 9
Atmosphere (/5): 5
Service (/5): 5

Base Score: 19

Bonus:
Kilkenny (/4): 2 - good, but not as great

Bonus Score:3

Final Score: 19/20 + 2 Bonus