Ever wonder where the term “whet your whistle” came from? Many years ago, in England, whistles were crafted onto the ceramic beer mugs, to be
Brewers, way back before thermometers were invented, used their thumbs to check for the right temperature to add yeast to the brew; because the yeast would die if it was too hot. It is said that from this practice came the adage “the rule of thumb.”
Why do Guinness bubbles sink?
Some of the greatest minds in Irish pubs the world over have have long been searching for an explanation to why the bubbles in a glass of Guinness appear to sink to the bottom on the glass instead of rise to the top. According to the folks who make it, all brews act in this manner, it's just that you notice it more with stouts because the the bubbles are light in color and the brew is dark. As the bubbles rise, the bubbles along the sides of the glass rise slower than the bubbles in the center due to drag. This creates a current that quickly pushes the bubbles along the sides down toward the bottom of the glass creating an interesting bubble show. Check out the video on the right for a demonstration.
And here I thought St. Patrick was responsible for the sinking bubbles. The next thing you know, someone is going to come up with a scientific explanation for the absence of snakes in Ireland. Just TRY to tell me that St. Patrick didn't have everything to do with that!
