The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day can make us all wish we were currently in Ireland. If the holiday has you wanting to schedule a trip and drink the country’s most famous stout, there are options for the curious who want to dabble to the serious fan who want to get a behind-the-scenes look at the brewery.
The Guinness Storehouse has long been the top tourist attraction in Ireland, according to Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, and in December, it was named the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2023 at the World Travel awards held in Dubai.
St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin
The standard tour experience is 20€ which includes a self-guided multi-media tour of the multi-level storehouse (it is shaped like a giant pint glass) and a pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor, which due to building height restrictions in the Dublin has one of the best 360-degree views of the city.
Who doesn't want to see themselves in foam?
For another 8€, you can add on a “STOUTie” which is portmanteau of “stout” and “selfie” and uses wizardry (aka a combination of patented 3D printer mechanics with Ink-Jet printing and natural malt extract) to print your photo on the top of a beer. Or you can opt for a mini-class on pouring the perfect pint along with a certificate denoting your advanced education 12€.
If you want to take things up a notch, the Connoisseur Experience is 95€, lasts about 3 hours, and takes visitors to secluded areas of the store house where they wil get to try more of the beers in Guinness’ range including Guinness Draught, Guinness Original, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, and one of the beers from The Brewers Project range.
The newest experience, which debuted last fall, in also the most in-depth and special. The Guinness Brewery Experience (350€) delves into history of the St. James’s Gate brewery, founded in 1759, as well as more insight into how the beer is brewed.
Tunnels at the Guinness Brewery
Small groups of up to 12 start at Arthur Guinness’ house, walking through his front door and seeing historic furnishings and mementos. They also visit the Roast House where the barley is roasted (which gives the beer its signature ‘dark stuff’ color but also a dry, roasty flavor); walk through underground tunnels; enjoy a Guinness-inspired lunch with beer pairings; pour their own pint; and finish at the Gravity Bar. Along the way, guests will see some of the oldest sites in the brewery, including 200-year-old vat houses and historic railway lines, learn about the global impact of the beer and how the brewing has evolved over the years, as well as the modern technology the company is using at Brewhouse 4, where all the draught for the northern hemisphere is made.
Roc & Co distillery
And for those who want to get a little whiskey with their beer, visit Roe & Co distillery, which along with Guinness is owned by Diageo, opened in 2019 in the site of the old Guinness power plant and was designed with a cohesive visitor experience in mind. Visitors can see the inner workings of the distillery process as they participate in blending (30€) and cocktail-making experiences (25€). Experiences come with a cocktail, but the menu at the on-site stylish Powerhouse bar is worth lingering in for a few, and the giftshop sells beautiful barware and accessories.
