To St Just Rugby Club, in the far west of west Cornwall, for an away fixture on the Star pool team’s calendar, where two exceptional events brightened a dull February evening.
If you’re like me you wander into unfamiliar bars with some trepidation. Sometimes there will be unexpected pleasure, like the night we encountered Spingo Jubilee IPA in good form in the Sportsmans Arms at Heamoor, just outside Penzance. Then there are times like last night, when you walk in the venue and spot a sea of tall, gleaming fonts with offerings such as Worthington’s Creamflow, Caffreys and Carlsberg. My survival instinct at this point is to take the Guinness option. I’ve never, in my experience, known anyone be able to mess up a pint of Guinness (you may, to paraphase Esther Rantzen from the days of the ‘Sausages’ dog, know otherwise).
So, Guinness option it was. And you know what? In far-flung, smallish, unassuming clubhouse it was gorgeous. Best pint of Guinness I’ve ever tasted. It was smooth as silk, it looked enticing, you could taste beautiful roast notes that are so often blasted away by the chilly state the beer’s served in and it had creamy head like a dollop of Cornish clotted on a scone. Why cant everyone serve a pint of Guinness like this?
“Because most pubs serve it too old,” opines Mein Host, back at the Star. Guinness needs to be served fresh. He should know. He sells a fair bit. People are very complimentary about his Black Stuff. I wouldn’t know as I’ve never had to try it. Might give it a go now, though.
Oh yes, since you ask — the other exceptional event? Pool team won. Yes, really.
