Rocket...widget
flaming june said:
CORK, Ireland -- Talking to Guinness drinkers leads one to conclude it is probably more a state of mind than a simple product. Cynics will point out that the state of mind is intoxicated stupefaction, but purists, a surprisingly large number of Guinness drinkers, insist that nothing can approach the magic of a perfect pint.
This is an arcane science accessible only to devotees and it involves a long ritual of anticipation followed by smug, lip-smacking satisfaction. Mafra Looby, a pint-toting blond in a popular Cork pub called The Roundy, makes the point eloquently: "It's not easy to get a good pint. The lines have to be clean and the pint has to settle. But when you do get a good pint, mmmmmmh!" Indeed.
Guinness is having a darn good try at replicating this kind of customer satisfaction straight from the bottle, and it is employing all the wonders of technology to do so. Its new bottled "draught" beer claims to have the "authentic" Guinness taste.
The heart of the system is the "rocket widget."
In the late 1980s Guinness pioneered the original spherical widget that is used in cans. A ball combining nitrogen and carbon dioxide is pressurized in the can. When the can is opened, the gas is released. Once the Guinness is poured, it assumes its characteristic half-inch head.
For the bottled version of the product, the widget is shaped like a rocket to keep it oriented correctly. The gas is released from the bottom of the widget. The majority of the gas is released when the bottle is first opened, then smaller amounts give the head a boost every time the bottle is tilted. The theory is that a head remains on the beer, inside the bottle, right down to the last sip.
"The new widget looks like a rocket," says Joe Bergin of Guinness Technical Support and Innovation, the division responsible for R&D, based in Dublin, Ireland. "It even has fins, for safety, to make sure the widget stays in the bottle." While the canned draught Guinness uses liquid nitrogen to create its head, the bottle uses gaseous nitrogen.
The widget revolution reflects the pains Guinness will take to ensure product consistency, but many Guinness drinkers are fanatics. Looby's reaction is a fairly typical of Guinness drinkers' preciousness about their favorite pint. Even the instructions for use are very specific: Draught Guinness in a can must be served very cold and needs to be poured into a glass for full effect. The "rocket" widget dispenses with the need for a glass.
"The rocket widget is an extraordinary device that opens up a whole new world for Guinness drinkers," says James Thompson, VP of marketing at Guinness Bass Import Company. "Guinness Draught in a Bottle will now allow consumers to enjoy a cold Guinness anytime, anywhere, without having to worry about a pint glass."
This means Guinness can be consumed anywhere, as long as it is cold. The company spent several years and $13.5 million developing the new rocket, but it hopes the product will put Guinness off-premise sales into orbit. According to the company, bottled beer dominates the U.S. market, at 90 percent. Guinness, which claims double-digit growth figures for all its brands in the United States, says it was essentially competing in just 10 percent of the market.
The U.S. growth is good news for the company; in Ireland, its sales are in decline, according to a report in the Boston Herald.
Commentators at websites devoted to the worship of beer remain skeptical, however. "Techno-stout!" sneers poster Liam at a discussion on the new beer, adding, apropos the TV advertisement, "judging by the music, this is aimed at the red-bull-and-vodka market."
In the Cork pub, Looby echoes the disdain. "No, it doesn't make sense. Guinness doesn't come in bottles; even in cans it's a compromise. No, the only way to get a good Guinness is from the tap. When you get a good pint there's that lovely, creamy taste: You can't bottle that!"
I've had a lot of obsessions over the years, but those are all I can remember right now...
I know what you mean Angela... we're not gonna have snow this year either. 
