Master brewer Murray reveals the right way to drink a pint of Guinness

I never met Elvis, but I imagine that taking beer-drinking tips from Guinness' brewmaster isn't too far removed from getting hip-swiveling lessons from "The King." So as Brewmaster Fergal Murray taught me the finer points of savoring a Guinness last week, it was all I could do to keep my shaky hands steady to avoid accidentally spilling the man's coveted brew all over the floor.

"Always look to the horizon," he told me in a steady Irish brogue as we took our first sips, "never look into the pint."

Thankfully I'm a Guinness drinker who watches her back. "Not bad," he told me. "Not bad."

In Ireland, people are often so overwhelmed to meet Murray that they usually end up crying as they shake his hand. It's a little different in the U.S., he says. Here, they'd rather buy him a drink. As Murray and I chatted in a semisecluded area in Soldier Field's Stadium Lounge, where Murray was celebrating Guinness and Bushnell's 400th anniversary last Monday, no less than 10 people approached him with thanks, kisses and handshakes.

It suddenly occurred to me that I might very well be talking to Ireland's version of Elvis. His publicist leaned over, smiled and told me, "This happens all the time."

Indeed, no matter where Murray went that night, he found himself surrounded by adorers: fans of his work, fans of the beer, fans of what "brew-mastering" Guinness' well-known stout must entail. But it wasn't just him they loved. It was his reputation.

By the time Murray finished walking me through the rest of his personal, Guinness-drinking advice (first, take a sip to break the cream's seal, then take steady drinks of the liquid beneath the head; and always drink from the same side of the glass you started with), it was easy to understand why his popularity preceded him. Not only does Murray have one of the most coveted jobs among beer lovers, he approaches his brewmaster duties with the sincerity of a man who truly believes Guinness is "the coolest beer in the world."

"It's not about old men sitting in a bar," he says. "It's about a cool beer."

Murray talks about this beer like he's describing a fragile, living art form. His motto remains that because Guinness is so close to perfection, the onus falls on its drinkers and pourers to do such perfection justice.

"Drink it with your eyes first," he says. Needless to say, I was hooked. If I didn't love this thick, motor-oil colored brew by the time I shook his hand (which I did), then by the time our chat had ended, I was a fan for life.

Now, a few things to remember when talking to Guinness' head honcho:

1. The drink we call "Half & Half" doesn't exist in Ireland as a Guinness and Bass combo. Nope, only Irish brews allowed in Murray's eyes. Where a Black and Tan still equals Guinness and Harp, a Half & Half now means Guinness and Smithwick's.

2. A brewmaster never critiques a bartender's pint. Though Murray firmly believes that "if you can pour a decent pint of Guinness, you've reached the pinnacle of your bartending career," he will not critically assess another man's pour. So don't ask him. He'll politely decline.

3. If you're wondering how Murray describes a Guinness, put your inquiries to rest. Though he's tried many a time, with many a reporter (I didn't ask), to describe the malty, creamy components of his favorite beer, he confides that his official description from here on out is: "Guinness. It tastes like Guinness." Fair enough.

Beer wasn't the only reason Murray showed up to Soldier Field last week, though. No, he had even bigger goals to support. Namely Proposition 3-17, a proposal to "make St. Patrick's Day and officially recognized holiday in the United States." He and Guinness are petitioning for at least 1 million signatures by midnight on Sunday, so Murray himself can present them to Congress on St. Paddy's Day.

According to a national survey touted by Guinness, more than half the people polled thought everyone "has a little bit of Irish in them on St. Patrick's Day." And Murray couldn't agree more. Though Ireland upholds the ancestral tradition, he says, the U.S. "invented the party." And on a day that's so worthy to be celebrated, he says, there's nothing wrong with that.

If you want to support St. Paddy's national-holiday proposition, visit proposition317.com to sign your name to the petition. And if you want to enjoy a pint of Guinness this weekend, Murray implores you (as he did me): "Drink responsibly."