Alex Wilmore reckons he’s not the world’s best beer pourer, in fact he doesn’t even drink much of it - but that didn’t stop him taking out the NSW and ACT State final in the Guinness Perfect Pour Competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 27-year-old Thornton lad, who works a few casual shifts at Maitland’s Shenanigans at The Imperial, will now have a crack at the national crown and if successful, will be jetting off to the Guinness factory in Dublin, Ireland.
“It definitely wasn’t my beer pouring skills that got me over the line,” he said. “I think it was my personality.”
The art of pouring Guinness involves a two minute pause between pours. During that time competitors had to interact with the audience and the judges.
Twenty six hopefuls started out in the competition and after several pouring rounds Alex was down to the final two, eventually taking the prize.
A Newcastle University student studying Sports Management and Marketing, Alex has been working at The Imperial for about 18 months.
His boss Clayton Barrett entered him in the competition, held at P. J. O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Sydney.
“During the first couple of pours I was actually a little nervous and at one stage spilt half a beer when I put it down on the table,” he said.
“I talked about myself and incorporated a lot of things like how I am studying at uni and spoke about a few of the Guinness marketing campaigns and why they used a toucan and other different animals as logos. It’s all about animals showing strength,” he said.
And as for drinking Guinness, Alex conceded it’s not his drink of choice. “I do drink but I’m not a massive drinker,” he said. Preferring to pour the ale, Alex said the perfect pour is all about the right timing, glass angle and the amount of time it’s left to settle between pours.
He will return to Sydney for the national finals on September 24 pitting his pouring prowess against other State winners. “I’ll go in with the same mindset as I did before and that’s to have a bit of fun.”