For over a month, the search was on for bartenders who've mastered the two-part-pour of a pint of Guinness. Guinness Malaysia and Heineken Star Academy partnered up to find four experts in Malaysia who could achieve this perfect pour.

They then launched a month-long campaign earlier this year where a Guinness bar-on-a-bus toured nationwide to show fans and bartenders alike just how important the two-part-pour is and how anyone can master it. Meanwhile, Heineken Star Academy sent covert experts to selected bars and restaurants serving the Guinness draft to test the bartenders' two-part-pour skills. Fans of Guinness also had a say in the results as they got to choose their favourite bartenders using special coasters provided at the outlets.

A month or so later, Heineken Star Academy announced eight finalists to represent the regions of central, north, south and East Malaysia - Alwin Goh from Monte Café, Malacca, Kew Min Jie from Broadway Restaurant & Cocktail Bar Johor Bahru, Kenny Loo from 12 Senses Penang, Jack Loh from Rooftop Ipoh, Fiona Chin from Old Place Pub & Lounge Kuching, Julio Jeremy Joachim from Souled Out Kota Kinabalu, Christopher Malgapo from The Beer Factory Sunway Giza, and Henry Lai from Souliquid Puchong.

At last night's event held at The Square, Publika, Heineken Star Academy and Guinness Malaysia announced that Alwin Goh, Henry Lai, Julio Jeremy Joachim and Christopher Malgapo won the Guinness Perfect Pour 2018.

Last year's winner Ong Poh Wee of The Beer Factory in Sunway Giza was also in attendance as he demonstrated to the crowd how it's possible for anyone to achieve the perfect pour. Simply tilt your chilled glass at a 45-degree angle, fill it up to three quarters and leave it alone for the surge to settle. The surge is the step where the frothy, creamy foam of the Guinness forms. Once the surge has settled, continue filling up the glass until the foam fills the brim.

-T-