Why Do Bubbles in Pints of Guiness Flow Downward?

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Since I will be in the UK for the latter two weeks of June for the Biomechanics Summer School in Manchester, I thought I had better learn as much about the fine beers of the region as possible, since I expect to be drinking plenty of pints during our lecture/vacation there.

In this regard, I always wondered why the bubbles on pints of Guiness seemed to flow downward.....:drinks

 

That's not how I heard it.

It is in fact a special case of the Coriolis effect and a special case in a very special way.

It is the only observable phenomemenon contrary to the laws of physics and it is uniquely, one might almost say miraculously, held in place by Papal Bull.

Back in the 19th C just after the Great Famine in Ireland the level of distress, at the loss of one million inhabitants to starvation and disease and another million to emigration, was so great that in an attempt to spiritually unify the diasora with the mother country, papal intercession, at the highest level, resulted in the bubbles in Guiness all flowing in the same direction independent of one's position on the globe.

If you imagine a guiness drinker in Belfast or Dublin say and another in Sydney or Adelaide, ie one north and one south of the equator. Now imagine that you are the Omnipotent. Pull back from the scene until you have the almost ball like shape of the earth in front of you. Now in one glass, in the northern hemisphere see the bubbles going down the way. Imagine the bubbles coming out the bottom of the glass and carrying on through the earth until they come to Australia. Are you with me? Never mind. Then imagine the bubble passing through the bottom of the glass of Guiness in Australia and you will notice that the bubbles in Australia are rising, ie the bubbles north and south of the equator are all moving in the same direction.

I am sure that our colleagues down under will be able to verify this phenomenon?

Remember this effect is not easily oberved until at least three pints have been consumed.

... and I think to myself - what a wonderful world.

Bill

 

I did some research on the topic.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1368/why-do-the-bubbles-in-guinness-stout-float-down

Regards,
Stanley

 

Great minds or fools or what?

 

Hi Kevin

There's nowt wrong with Guinness but the best is definitely in Dublin. The same effect is noticed in Old Peculier, which is an excellent Yorkshire brew, and provided it stands up to the trip across the Pennines and is not adulterated by urination of jealous Lancashire ruffians, is well worth 10 pints or so.

I can guarantee that once the pint is sunk, the bubbles disappear having once again defied the laws of nature by moving downwards. When drinking with disgusting Manchester types you may note that the bubbles move upward again during eructation and prior to regurgitation.

Cheers

Bill