The Tradition of The Perfect Pint

I remember growing up in Dublin in the 60s and 70s my father worked for the Racing Board (horse racing) and he and his co-workers were pint drinkers (as most Irish men were back then.) I remember going into pubs with him; places like Gaffneys on Fenien St, the White Horse on the Quays and most interesting was a place called the Confession Box on Marlborough Street (still there.) The men would always talk about the pint and some places were not frequented because they did not do right by the pint.

After I went to work with my father and brother and Uncle and Cousins (family tradition) we traveled all over Ireland to race meetings and after (and sometimes before and during) the races, the lads would find the best place for a pint. They were pint aficionados and no matter how busy the pub was, the pint had to be allowed to settle and be presented properly.

So with that tradition ingrained in me, I left the horse racing business. I didn’t last long in a job you were supposed to keep for life. America was calling and I wanted to see the world, and I did.

So it was no surprise that when I finished with the military and bought the Pub, my main objective was to make a place where pint drinkers would come to sample the Guinness, meet their friends, socialize and relax. My first attempts at getting the Guinness right were not good, although everybody said the Guinness was great. I knew it was not what I wanted: everyday, consistently good, was what I wanted.

So my good friend Joe and I went sampling all over America, but we kept getting drawn back to J.P. Clarks in New York. An old school Irish pub, with great bartenders and consistently great pints. These guys were extremely helpful to me and allowed me to examine their set up from tap to basement, I took notes and on one of my many trips home to visit my mother and father, I saw a Guinness Quality Control van parked outside the Station House in Raheny (formerly the Manhattan). So I pulled over and spoke with the Guinness Quality man for an hour while Catherine waited in the car (she’s so patient); again I took notes.

Finally back in New London, my Guinness Quality Control team decided to go with zero chemicals on glasses. We all felt that a residue was left by the chemicals. We wash the glasses at 180 deg; thereby disinfecting them without the use of any chemicals. Our Guinness is always served in a room temperature 20 oz tulip glass. Proper glasses should be the norm not the exception. This will ensure the beautiful cascade and off-white head. Next, the bartender must be knowledgeable about Guinness and always use the two pour method allowing the pint to settle. There are other details involved like cleaning the line, but I won't bore you with me too many details. We strive to make sure the pint of Guinness you receive at Hanafin's is the very best you can get.

I’ll never forget the real Dubliners who were friends and drinking companions of my father Con Hanafin. People like Mike Shannon, Billy Bruin, Paddy McGill, Paddy Gallagher, Brian O'Connor, J.J. Murray, Pierce Fennell and of course Pat Dunne in Flynns of Borrisokane. Recently my brother met one of the few still alive and he remarked to Pat that they had the greatest job in the world; traveling Ireland, drinking pints and watching horse racing. Hard to beat that.

So cheers to all the above, so long as we have good friends, good Guinness and a good pub, the tradition goes on. Oh yea and as they say to the man on the door; Scott, Jim and Max, “I know the owner." It's all true.
See ya
D.