Last week I went down to London’s Cuckoo Club to learn the artistry of the perfect pour from expert draught master, Marc Stroobandt coutesy of The UK’s number one premium lager Stella Artois.
Having worked as a bar tender as a teenager whilst at college although a number of years have passed by I wanted to see if I still remembered how to pour a perfect pint. The exclusive masterclasses aim was to teach the skilful pouring ritual that all draught masters adhere to when pouring the perfect chalice of Stella Artois.
The evening, marked the beginning of the build up to the annual Stella Artois World Draught Master Championship, aimed at finding the world’s best ‘Créateur de Beauté. So the event not only gave me the chance to see the artistry involved in pouring the perfect Stella Artois, but the best masterclass attendee was going to win a coveted spot in the UK finals on October 13 at the Design Museum.
Our tutor for the evening Marc Stroobandt showcased how the glass should be positioned at a 45 degree angle and rotated slightly as the beer hits the glass and straightened as the beer edges near the top. You then slice the over flow of the beer off with this knife like device, the place a doily on the bottom of the glass and a coaster for it to sit on and viola the perfect beer has been poured.
I queued up to take my turn to pour and guess what I still got it! Despite the many years of being away from behind a bar. Marc said the head that I poured was perfect for belgim but slightly big for the UK. I was happy with that, it still tasted great.
If reading this has wetted your appetite for beer then why not go and see Twenty of the UK’s best bar staff displaying their dispense skills using the iconic chalice branded glass when the Draught Master is staged in London on October 13.
The eagerly-awaited event – the ultimate test of bar dispense and presentation skills – underlines the renowned brewing heritage and unrivalled product quality of Stella Artois.
The winner will receive the prestigious Draught Master title, plus £500 for themselves and £2,500 for their outlet, and will have the honour of representing the nation in the World Draught Masters taking place in the UK for the first time.
More than 30 bar staff from all over the world, including the newly-crowned UK winner, will put their dispense skills to the test in London on October 28. The winner will become the global Ambassador for the art of pouring the perfect Stella Artois.
Avril Maxwell was last years Draught Masters winner. You can follow her on Twitter here.
