Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse: Fancy a Pint?
Dublin is one of my favorite cities I’ve ever visited. Maybe it isn’t the most picturesque, and maybe the weather can be a bit of a downer for people who don’t like cold weather, but I absolutely adore it. The people are so friendly and it’s always so much fun. One of the top things to do in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse, a tour through the brewing process of Guinness beer. AKA the sweet nectar of the Irish Gods. The Storehouse is located right in the heart of St. James’s Gate Brewery, in the center of Dublin. I had a great experience Guinness Storehouse and think it’s is definitely worth visiting
Here’s a review, recap, and what to expect from the Guinness Storehouse tour!
About the Tour
The cost of the tour is €18 (about $22). If you are/look anywhere near college age, you can use your student ID to get tickets for €14.50 (about $18). That ticket price is a little steep, but this is is THE #1 tourist-y thing to do while in Dublin (and you get a free pint of the black stuff, so that’s a definite perk).
Even if you don’t like Guinness, you’ll still enjoy the Storehouse tour!
Let me start off by saying that I’m really not the biggest fan of Guinness beer. I feel like it has this weird after taste of chocolate licorice + beer and I’m not a fan. But then each time I land in Dublin I act like its the best thing I’ve ever had and proceed to drink it in mass quantities (I also tried Guinness-flavored potato chips once…HUGE mistake). When in Ireland….do as the Irish do. And the Irish worship the stuff. So, it is what it is and I shall continue loving it in Ireland and only in Ireland. With that being said, you absolutely don’t have to like Guinness to enjoy the tour. Even if you hate their beer, the Guinness Storehouse is still absolutely worth visiting! It’s one of the most popular things to do in Dublin, and with good reason!
So, it was a bit of a trek from our hostel to the Guinness Storehouse, and we got a little lost. Even when we got there, we almost missed it because the side of the building we came up to was blank. It was only when we passed a giant GUINNESS STOREHOUSE sign did we realize we were there.
After entering through a giant stone archway (shown above), we made it inside. The first thing you see inside is the gift shop, the ticket entrance, and a huge, circular, Guinness pint-shaped atrium that stretches up 7 stories. And its smells like malt/sweat of an Irishman (basically the same thing).
From start to finish of the tour, you learn every aspect of the process from the history of Arthur Guinness and the beer to picking the ingredients, brewing, barreling, transporting, advertising, and even the proper way to pour from the tap. I don’t know much (ok, nothing) about brewing beer, so it was really cool to learn about the process, and also learn about the history of one of the most successful beers in the world.
Here were some of my favorite parts of the Guinness tour:
1. In one bright, stark white (to “stop any distractions from the tasting process”) room, there were 4 obelisks that had smoke with the different smells of all the ingredients. The staff encourage you to take time to go around the room, smelling the different aromas of Guinness: barley, malt, yeast, and hop. Then, you are given a small pint o’ Guinness to try and “properly” taste a Guinness.
2. In another room, you have the chance to become a certified Guinness pourer! You learn how to pour the perfect pint of the black stuff. The staff gives an explanation and demonstration. Then, you’re on your own! Once you pour your own pint correctly, you’re certified!
3. The calm after the storm. My favorite part of the tour was the 360° bar on the rooftop that you can visit at the end of the tour. Once I poured my own pint of Guinness, the last stop was to head to the top of the storehouse. You can take in the aerial views of Dublin while you drink what is basically Ireland in a cup! I held on to my new certificate with pride and slowly sipped on my pint of that black gold, the pride of Ireland.
Definitely consider visiting the Guinness Storehouse on your trip to Dublin, especially if its your first time there. It’s absolutely worth it! No visit to Ireland is complete if you don’t leave without much greater appreciation for the coveted “black stuff.” Also, since the whole experience is indoors, it’s actually a great thing to do in Dublin if it’s raining. Which, is very likely. It is Dublin, after all.
Not only that, but it felt more like an interactive museum than a tour. It was a whole afternoon of stouty fun and Irish education! Check out the Guinness Storehouse website for more info!
