Guinness: What's better- cans or bottles?

Question

I'm having a St. Patrick's day party and I don't know what type of Guinness to get. I normally prefer the cans, but a case of cans is almost twice the price of a case of bottles around where I live. What should I do?

Answer 1

Both the Guinness cans and bottles of "widgets" in them that create a good head. The cans are best for pouring into glasses. The widget creates bubbles that create the head Guinness is known for. In bottles however, the widget creates a tiny head for each swig you take. Therefore, if you plan on giving your guests glasses to pour their beer into, use cans. If you expect them to drink straight -- use bottles.

Answer 2

Most beers taste better from a bottle as opposed to a can, but Guinness is special. The cans come with a specially designed "widget" inside that creates nearly the same effect as you would get in a pub pint. This answer comes from years of experience drinking Guinness at various locations aroound the world, including many in Ireland! My Irish friends agree as well that a can is the next best thing to a real pint.

A keg of guinness would cost a fortune and it won't be a good because you need a proper tap to serve Guinness correctly.

Answer 3

Well, I always prefer draft, but since that's not an option, I would say bottles. 1) They just taste better and 2) you are supposed to pour the Guinness out of the cans into a pint glass and that can get messy fast. If people have bottles, they can just drink out of the bottles and then throw them away. That'll limit clean up and potentially broken pint glasses. Make sure the bottles are kept cold and get a few varieties: Guinness, Guinness Extra Stout and maybe Guinness Extra Cold (if they have it). Happy St Patty's Day! Slainte!

Answer 4

Both the cans and the bottles have the widget, unlike what a previous poster stated. In the bottles it's called the Rocket Widget, and in cans it's the Guinness In-Can System.

Go with bottles. You’ll probably never notice any difference in taste (unless you have a gourmet’s palate), but you’re much more likely to find a 12-pack of bottles which will make it easier for you to stock up as opposed to the 4 or 6 packs of the cans.

Answer 5

STOP STOP


The bottles available here, in Canada, are brewed by Labatt's under licence to Guinness. Horrible stuff. The Cans are the only true imported Guinness available.


One thing that has become a bit of an issue for me is that they have begun to contract the bottle version of the beer in Canada. They have a contract with Labatt’s to brew the beer. This is not a problem, in and of itself, as they have always had breweries worldwide but they appear to have dumbed the product down a bit. It seems to have less character than in the past. It is still a great beer but it no longer seems to be the apex of stout. Some would suggest that this is psychological. They would suggest that it is the same and I am merely creating differences in my own mind. Perhaps that is true but I think the dumb down theory is more accurate. They began this contract brewing shortly before beginning a major advertising campaign in the U.S. I am inclined to think that they are trying for a less discerning market.

Answer 6

The cans. No question. They have the nitrogen ball inside them. There's a reason that they're more expensive. And you can't get a keg unless you have a nitrogen tap.

Answer 7

Without question it has to be bottles. If you can find it export is especially good but beware not to get the African one as it's very sweet.

Answer 8

Bottles. I have always felt that the flavor in bottles is better.

Answer 9

I like bottles, oh yeah serve some "Irish car bombs" MMMMM Yummy!

Answer 10

Bottles.
Glass bottles of anything, is always going to be better flavour-wise