h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm sure Guiness is best consumed in Ireland, but if you love it (you probably do if you are lurking about in here) you will want to have it wherever you travel.

Here are the best places in California:

James Joyce pub in Santa Barbara on State St.

Britannia Arms in Aptos (south of Santa Cruz)

Katie Bloom's in Campbell

Duke of Edinburg in Cupertino

Dylan's Pub in San Francisco

John Foley's in San Franciso

Instead of posting address or directions for any of these establishments please check the "white pages" found with any public phone. This is also a great way to locate independent book stores, coffee shops, and used record shops. Starbucks is for w****s.

As an Irishman very fond of his Guinness (although having been away from Ireland for over a year) I should add that the Field in San Diego (on 5th St, Downtown in the Gaslamp district) has a respectable pint. Not only that, they serve their beer in proper, British/Irish size pints (20 fluid oz) rather than the usual American pints (16oz) which, obviously, works out at 25% more Guinness.

I can't say its the best pint, but it was the most amusing. So there I was, a Wisconsinite in California (Los Angeles, to be exact) having a pint of Guiness in a pub decorated in the stereotypical German style, by a Russian waitress. Needless to say, with that mix it was an awful pour, but I smile everytime I think of it, which makes it worth it by me.