I've been drinking more Guinness lately. Not sure why, other than my taste for it seems to have heightened. So, nights out in front of the lovely blonde in a black dress invariably result in some discussion over the finer points of Guinness-ology. Prime among these? What the fuck is up the bubbles going DOWN?

Fortunately, there is science. And science is good. So why do we see bubbles FALLING in a Guinness when -- in a move that separates the good servers from the bad -- the barkeep sets it aside to settle before topping it off?

This is why:

And the other common myth, one no longer held by seed's close friends, is that the Guinness is better in Ireland. Why is this not so?

Nitrogen. Regular beer uses only CO2 to make the little bubbles. Guinness uses a mix of N2 and CO2. So find yourself a place that does this for Guinness, and it's far more likely you'll get the Meal in a Glass the way the Lord intended. (Some room for error here based on the attention the various establishments pay to the tap lines -- some not enough (mold), some too much (soap).) And if you have to get it in a to-go format, get the container that has the widget. That's the N2 goodness.