Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness

One man’s tour of Ireland on tap; a rollicking travelogue in the tradition of Round Ireland with a Fridge and McCarthy’s Bar.

“Regret” is the word that best describes Evan McHugh’s first taste of Guinness. For an Australian raised on Vegemite, Ireland’s black brew is very much an acquired taste. But the travel-writer is committed to acquiring it. Determined to discover exactly what makes a pint of Guinness so legendary, he crosses the Emerald Isle in search of his answers.
But in sampling pints as he goes, McHugh soon realizes that in each town, and at every pub, someone always says that the best glass of Guinness is to be found . . . . somewhere else.
In his comedic and sentimental journey, McHugh and his companion, Twidkiwodm (the-woman-he-didn’t-know-he-would-one-day-marry), hitch around Ireland, meeting unforgettable characters. He goes rowing with a German bagpiper on the lakes of Killarney, windsurfing with a one-armed man in Dingle, survives an encounter with poteen and even finds his own bar . . . but keeps searching for the perfect pint.
As entertaining as it is informative, Pint-Sized Ireland is both a hilarious travelogue and thoughtful diary. McHugh’s comedic voice swiftly moves in and out of pubs, peering into froth-rimmed pints, and leading readers to question: So does he ever find the perfect pot of black gold?
Those who have rested upon the barstools of Ireland, who have sought the famed “perfect pint of Guinness,” realize that perfection rests in more than just the taste. McHugh captures the visceral experience of Guinness and Ireland in a warm memoir that’s perfect to savor.

Guinness was very much an acquired taste for Evan McHugh, an Australian raised on Vegemite, but he set out to acquire it. Determined to discover exactly what makes a pint of Guinness so legendary, he crosses the Emerald Isle in search of his answers. But he soon realizes that each town, and each pub, always says that the best glass is to be found….somewhere else.

In a comedic and sentimental journey, McHugh and his companion hitch around Ireland, meeting unforgettable characters. He goes rowing with a German bagpiper on the lackes of Killarney, wihndsurfing with a one-armed man in Dingle, survives an encounter with poteen and even finds his own bar, but everywhere locals tell him that the best Guinness is brewed somewhere else. So does he ever find the perfect pot of black gold?