In the summer of 2019 our family had the chance to spend almost three months in Dublin and I’ll try to tell you about everything interesting, popular or not, in the city. Overall, I wouldn’t say that I liked Dublin much, unlike Ireland. If you go out of the city everything is gorgeous, but Dublin itself not so much… There were amazing places, of course, and I will tell you about one of them now.
Located in the heart of St.James’s Gate Brewery, this fermentation site has been home to the Guinness Company since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed the now-famous 9,000 year lease on the brewery. Today, the GUINNESS STOREHOUSE® is Ireland’s and Europe’s leading visitor attraction where visitors are taken on a magical journey into the world-famous Guinness brand.
Arthur Guinness first leased the now-famous brewery at St. James’s Gate in the historic Liberties neighbourhood back in 1759, so boldly confident in his new venture that he signed a 9,000 year lease, at £45 a year. Of course, his confidence turned out to be well-founded – it is now the biggest stout brewery in the world.
The tourist attraction was established in 2000, but the building which houses it dates back to 1904. Located inside a former ‘hop house’ or fermentation plant for the stout – where the precious Guinness yeast was added to the recipe – it is a steel-framed construction modelled on the Chicago School of Architecture that was popular during the early 20th century. The idea for the new visitor centre was conceived in 1997, around the time that Guinness merged with the Grand Metropolitan company to become Diageo.
Spread over seven floors, the Guinness Storehouse was designed to immerse its many visitors in the history of one of the world’s most successful beer brands. Built around a giant tulip-shaped Guinness glass at its centre – which is an essential part of what their brand calls the ‘perfect pour’ – the Storehouse includes several interactive exhibition areas that depict how the process of making and selling Guinness has changed since the time of Arthur Guinness, including old brewing equipment and a live demonstration of the modern brewing process used by the company today. An advertising exhibit focuses on bygone Guinness ad campaigns, while the aforementioned ‘perfect pour’ can be practiced at the Guinness Academy.
In the entry hall you can see the three main ingredients of the beer – barley, hop and water.
You’ll begin your tour at the Roast House, where they roast our barley to 232 degrees Celsius.
Next, see some of the oldest parts of the site, visiting the 200-year-old Vat Houses where Guinness was matured for months before being sent to the four corners of the world.
Here you can see a very interesting installation representing a pint of bubbles.
There are few places where you can taste the beer. The building itself is magnificent and the views between the floors is amazing.
From expert coopers to epic sea voyages, you can learn how the beer has been travelling the globe since 1769. Today, Guinness is shipped to over 150 countries.
Imagination: it’s something the company has never been short of. Immerse yourself in over eighty years of groundbreaking print, digital and TV campaigns in the Guinness World of Advertising, interact with the ads, and take a memorable snap to insert yourself into the historic world of Guinness advertising.
You can see a true art pieces advertising the beer.
The Guinness Storehouse is also home to the treasured Guinness Archive, a vast collection of historical records stretching as far back as the 1759 founding of the brewery. These artefacts, which can be viewed by appointment only, include genealogy records of former Guinness employees dating back to the 18th century.
The tour ends with a free pint in the Gravity Bar, offering 360-degree views of Dublin spread out below.
The price for this pleasure is 15 euro and there are several different tours to chose from. I can guarantee that what you will see and experience is worth every cent.
As much as I dislike such a typical tourist attractions, I can’t lie – the tour was super fun and my family will remember it for a long time.
Stay tuned and don’t stop travelling!
