Open four bottles of Guinness Stout and put the other two in the fridge. Pour one into a nice tall glass, making sure you do it in three stages with a good head each time. Let the foam settle before each stage. Sip as needed while preparing the dinner.
Pour three bottles of the stout into the pot so that the meat is covered with a few inches of liquid. Add more water if needed. Add 1-2 tablespoons of pickling spices or your assorted spice blend. Don't go too heavy with the spices, but make sure there is 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns.
Bring to a boil and immediately drop to a low simmer. Cover and leave at a slow simmer for 1-1/2 hours while you go read a book and relax. The corned beef will cook for a total of two hours and thirty minutes hours, with the veggies being added near the end.
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Sliced bread turns 80 today
