Visiting the Home of Guinness

While we were in Dublin, there was one thing that was absolutely on our must do list: a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. I’ve already told you that back home in the US of A, we’re not big Guinness fans. But everyone promised that the Guinness in Ireland would taste better & that the Guinness Storehouse was well worth a visit.

You’re greeted by the huge gates at St. James’ Gate Brewery, where they’ve been brewing Guinness since, well, forever (ok, 1904). Admission to this mecca of beer is €18 (buy your ticket online ahead of time & it’s only €16.20!) & self-guided tours happen seven days a week, 361 days a year from 9:30am – 5pm (they’re closed for a few days around Christmas & on Good Friday).  Your tour starts in an underground area with a very well put together exhibit on how beer is made, filled with interesting Guinness facts like the one below.

After you’ve learned how Guinness is made, the tour continues in a multi-story building with each floor offering a different piece of Guinness history. I loved the part about Guinness advertising through the years.

Make sure you stop by the tasting experience, where, under the watchful gaze of Arthur Guinness (who looks suspiciously like one of America’s founding fathers), you’re given a little sample of Guinness & taught how to properly drink it.

The highlight of the tour is heading up to the Gravity Bar & enjoying a complimentary pint of Guinness with a 360* view of Dublin. The day we visited it was a bit overcast outside, but the view was still fantastic.