Horror in Davis Square

Anyone who's ever warmed a barstool in Ireland -- or in one of Boston's traditional Irish pubs -- knows that pulling a proper pint of Guinness stout is a two-step process carried out at a stately pace by someone with a steady hand, a good store of patience, and a healthy respect for ritual.

Guinness doesn't quietly fill a glass, it surges and froths with a vigor unknown to other brews. You have to wait a couple of minutes while the creamy head and ebony body settle their differences; then wait a bit more while the barman tops off the pour with another pull at the tap and -- if he or she is a clever sort -- uses the last few drops to inscribe a shamrock in the foamy cap.

So how shocked were we when we had taken our seats at the bar of a well-known Davis Square restaurant Saturday night to see the bartender, instead of waiting for the Guinness she had just pulled to settle out, begin scooping out the foam with a spoon? We briefly considered placing a 911 call to the Hibernian Society.

On their richly interactive website the Guinness people go to some lengths to explain the way it should be done. They claim it takes a full two minutes to prep the perfect pint . . . . not counting the shamrock.