Famous Guinness Reviewer Names Boston Pub the Best for the Brew

A Guinness authority recently visited the United States to find the best place for brewing, and Boston emerged as the top choice.

The honor for the best place to grab a Guinness went to J.J. Foley's Cafe in the South End.

Jason Hackett, recognized as "Prime Mutton" to his 170,000-plus Instagram followers, embarked on a 35-day U.S. tour, visiting pubs in Boston, New York, Providence, Chicago, San Francisco, and other cities. The pint at J.J. Foley's earned Hackett's tip of the hat.

"When I took a sip of the pint, I thought, 'Wow, I'd be really happy with this in Ireland,'" said Hackett in a statement shared with NBC10 Boston. "It was well-balanced, just a little hint of bitterness, not too much. You get a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of coffee, and the perfect dry stout."

After Hackett's review went public, the pub could hardly maintain its stock.

"You have all these big groups and everything," said the pub's Jeremiah Foley. "They come in, 10 pints of Guinness, 12 pints of Guinness. We're sitting there flying through it." The recognition is a significant achievement for the Boston establishment, which has been family-owned and operated since it opened its doors in 1909.

Hackett, who hails from Manchester, England, is a professional bridge player who travels throughout the world critiquing beer and food. When it comes to Irish stout, he's famous for taking giant gulps and dishing out no-frills reviews. Instead of relying on numerical ratings, he prefers a four-tiered approach. On the lowest end is "good," then "very good," "creamer," and "absolute creamer."  J.J. Foley's earned the "absolute creamer" recognition.