KEY POINTS:
Queenstown is the place to be next March if you're after the best St Patrick's Day pint in the land.
Ross Feeney and Jim Griffiths from the city's Pog Mahone's Irish Bar were last week named New Zealand's best Guinness pint pourers.
The duo battled four other teams from around the country at the Pint Masters competition held at Sky City's Atrium Bar on Thursday night.
Competitors were assessed on more than 20 criteria in the Perfect Pour round, including the angle at which the pint glass was held and the height of the Guinness' head.
The competition also involved a Creative Pour round - where competitors were required to deliver a pint with a badge (a variation on the traditional shamrock design) - and a Guinness Cocktail round.
Irish expat and country manager for Diageo, Philip Doyle, was one of the judges of the event and said the competition was very close.
"All the finalists represent the pinnacle of Guinness pouring technique," he said.
"The competition highlights how important it is to get the pour right with a pint of Guinness. Well-poured Guinness tastes a treat - Kiwis deserve to drink the best."
Feeney and Griffiths scored highly in the Perfect Pour round, created a Kiwi motif in the Creative Pour round and served up a Guinness Cocktail creation pairing the dry stout with Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir and a balsamic, black pepper and clove reduction.
"Ross and Jim embodied the spirit of Guinness adding personality and charisma during their pours and demonstrated impressive skill and knowledge of Guinness," said Doyle.
Mandy Martin and Malcolm Fox from The Clare Inn in Auckland were placed second in the competition.
More than 200 bars and pubs across New Zealand competed for a place in the finals of the Pint Master challenge.
Competition rounds took place in pubs nationwide from September, with more than 14,000 votes collected from New Zealand Guinness drinkers.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
