Guinness Withdrawal

I've been here in Scotland for three days now after a 5-day stint back home in Dublin, and I'm starting to notice that Guinness is no longer coursing through my system. It’s a disappointing realisation, I must say.

It’s great to see my family and friends when I’m back, it really is, but it’s an almost physical yearning for the black stuff that I feel as the day to fly home draws nearer. It’s nearly the first thing I do when I get off the plane. Straight into the airport bar, and order up a pint. Even writing this now I can feel the mouth-watering anticipation as I watch it settle. I fork over at least one-too-many Euro for the thing, and wait for it to settle to a defined black and white contrast. As soon as the first gulp passes my lips, I’m home again.

But now it’s over. Until Christmas, at least, I’ll have to sate my thirst with one of the many lagers they dole out by the pintful over here. They range from terrible to pretty damn good, but not one of them can reach the spot that the uncarbonated ebony and creamy white can reach.

I’ve tried drinking Guinness over here. I’ve tried hard. But despite the recent “Now Brewed in Dublin” campaigns that they’ve thrown at me, it just doesn’t seem the same. Maybe it’s in my head; an emotional attachment with my home country, but I don’t think so.

I’ve had very good pints of Guinness in very good countries across the world, but there’s only one country I’ve ever had a GREAT pint in…