Guinness Open Gate Brewery to host free Halloween Perfect Pour challenge

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden is running a free pint-pouring competition from Monday 26^th to Saturday 31^st October. Over six evenings, participants will learn the brand’s carefully timed, two-part pour from master brewer Hollie Stephenson before competing in groups of four to produce the best pint.

The Halloween Perfect Pour Challenge sessions will take place at 6.15pm from Monday to Friday, with a special session starting at 7.30pm on the Saturday. Each begins with instructions from Stephenson, who will cover the main stages of the process: holding the glass at the correct tilt, filling it in two parts and leaving it to settle between pours. Participants then take over the taps to be judged by the brewery’s staff.

The best result in each group of four will win the pint free of charge and a brewery tour for two. The other three participants can drink what they poured and receive 50% off a future brewery tour. Everyone who takes part will receive a certificate of participation.

“Anyone who loves Guinness knows the beauty of a pint poured just right, and this Halloween we’re giving people the chance to get behind the bar and try it for themselves,” said Stephenson.

“There’s an art to the two-part pour, from getting the tilt right to having the patience to let it settle. We’ll show everyone how it’s done before handing over the taps and seeing who can master it. Hopefully there won’t be too many scary pints along the way!”

The 119.5-second pour has long been part of how Guinness presents its stout. The method lets the surge of nitrogen bubbles settle before the glass is topped up, which forms the drink’s familiar dark body and creamy head. The challenge gives fans the chance to try for themselves rather than watch from the other side of the bar.

The Covent Garden site is the latest of the company’s experimental breweries, a line that dates back to 1904. Its brewers develop new beers there and serve them in small batches in the tap room. Visitors who want to stay after the challenge can buy another drink in the Old Brewer’s Yard courtyard or browse the brewery’s retail space.

Food Desk

The Halloween Perfect Pour Challenge takes place from 26^th until 31^st October 2026 at Guinness Open Gate Brewery London, 1 Mercer Walk, London WC2H 9FA. Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information or to book, visit here.