Oh my Guinness

Finnhenry's - 3 Glasses

34 N. Orange Ave.

407-648-0100

finnhenrys.com

Guinness temperature: 40.8 degrees Fahrenheit

Is beer allowed to rest before pint is fully pulled? Yes

Does bartender pour shape of shamrockinto beer foam? No

Is beer served in a tulip-shaped glass? Yes

Can I get of a shot of whiskey on the side? Yes

What's on TV? Basketball

Is there music? Nonthreatening, album-oriented, sing-along pop-rock: John Cougar, TLC

Price of a pint: $5

Bar ambience: A spacious, pretty room with very cosmopolitan set-dressing: 1950s-style black-and-white tile floors, faux-tin ceilings, chalkboards in the bathrooms. Feels almost like a bar you'd come across in a train station or a movie.

Comments: There's no such thing as a bad Guinness, of course, but this one just wasn't quite as satisfying. Perhaps it's because the beer was a bit colder than we like or the pour was a bit sloppy, with foam running down the side of the glass, and no coaster or towel was provided to soak up the condensation that accumulated on the table.

Paddy Murphy's Irish Pub - 2 Glasses

and Restaurant

4982 New Broad St.

407-622-4700

originalpaddymurphys.com

Guinness temperature: 41.5 degrees Fahrenheit

Is beer allowed to rest before pint is fully pulled? Briefly

Does bartender pour shape of shamrockinto beer foam? No

Is beer served in a tulip-shaped glass? Yes

Can I get a shot of whiskey on the side? Yes

What's on TV? Baseball, mostly, though a couple are playing what looks like ESPN or Sports Center

Is there music? Live band: older guys playing classic rock covers

Price of a pint: $5

Bar ambience: American sports bar with Irish pub theme. It's pretty hoppin' on a Friday night, and the crowd ranges from baby boomers out for a night on the town to clean-cut 20-somethings meeting for drinks.

Comments: This is a nice, creamy Guinness that seems to have been correctly poured, though the head foamed over the glass on the trip from the bar to our table a few feet away. The barroom is celebratory, but it lacks that authentic pub feel that makes a Guinness feel that much more satisfying.

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