In his first public visit since his video message about his cancer treatment progressing successfully, King Charles III was seen pouring a “perfect” pint of Guinness on a U.K. holiday visit to a new brewery in London’s Covent Garden.
Charles attended the opening event for the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, a £73 million (C$134 million) Royal investment containing a microbrewery, visitor experience, restaurants, shops and events space, standing on what was once an 18th century powerhouse in that time’s brewing district, according to a press release by The Royal Family published Thursday.
Appearing to be in a good mood, the King even went as far to joke with carolers at the event, saying they must be “moonlighting from the Royal Opera House.” He then went on to joke with the reporters as he teased them about not getting to taste the drinks.
Charles was seen tasting exclusively brewed beer for the site and meeting Diageo’s Learning for Life hospitality graduates. He mingled with attendees and wished them a Merry Christmas as he shook hands.
During a lesson in the right way to pour a pint of Guinness, Charles was shown how to tilt the glass to a 45-degree angle, then let the drink settle for 60 to 70 seconds in order to let the bubbles rise inside the glass.
One of the team members also showed him how to “print” an image made out of barley, carrot or beetroot, on the head of a pint, using a touch-screen machine.
He had poured a “perfect pint,” Leo Ravina, his pint-pouring trainer, was heard saying.
“If you say so,” said Charles as he wiped away a Guinness foam moustache.
Meanwhile, the King seemed to particularly enjoy some of the less-famed beers, including the Old Brewer’s Yard Porter, Winter Warmer, and an Apricot Sour – which turned out to be his favourite of the lot.
Charles also got a tour of the inner process of beer-making and was introduced to the team creating unique brews for the Covent Garden site, the press release said.
The London location is the fourth Guinness Open Gate Brewery site globally, with the other three located in Dublin, Baltimore and Chicago.
Charles also ventured out to the Christmas-themed food market with local community groups. The courtyard where the market was located also had a 30-foot mural created by artist Mason London, which told the story of Covent Garden’s “streets and brewing history, through the people who have shaped its character across centuries.”
Among those attending was filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, who directed the 2002 film “Bend It Like Beckham” and has now taken a new spin on a modern version of “A Christmas Carol” called “Christmas Karma.”
“We’re honoured to have His Majesty The King officially open our Guinness Open Gate Brewery London today. Pubs and restaurants are the heartbeat of the hospitality sector and this is a wonderful show of support for the industry at this time,” Nik Jhangiani of Diageo said in a press release by the company.
