I truly love nothing more than a good cup of tea (I even travel with…
What It’s Like to Visit the Guinness Storehouse
Heading to Dublin? You must visit the Guinness Storehouse.
It’s the city’s most popular destination, and it’s not hard to imagine why. The company’s history is as good as the drink itself.
In 1759, a young Irishman inherited what would be about the equivalent of $150. With that, he started a company that specialized in just one product. Yep, you guessed it. Beer. Guinness is now sold in over 150 countries and is even available in fur-flung destinations like Siberia. And if you were in Siberia, couldn’t you go for a pint?
The Guinness Storehouse isn’t so much a brewery as it is a cultural experience. A tour of the seven-floor building will walk you through brewing methods, history, their legendary ad campaigns, plus some hands-on activities. I’m sure you’ve always wanted to learn how to pour a Guinness. Great news– you can learn at the Guinness Academy, where an expect will teach you the six-step ritual to pouring a perfect pint.
My favorite spot in the whole joint was the Gravity Bar. Located high atop the city, this beautiful room boasts floor to ceiling windows, offering a 360 degree view of Dublin. If it’s a little too crowded for you, no worries– there are a few more bars and restaurants throughout the building for a more low-key beer drinking experience.
Tickets to the Guinness Storehouse are offered at a sliding scale. It’s cheaper in the morning than in the afternoon… hey, I say you’re on vacation, so why not go early and enjoy a 10am beer at a discounted price?! Admission includes a pint of the good stuff, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy after learning about how this iconic brand came to be.
Have you been to the Guinness Storehouse? Share your experience in the comments!
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Must-See Destinations in Ireland
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Absolutely loved, loved, loved Dublin when we visited several years ago. Visiting Guinness, and learning the proper way to pour a Guinness, was a blast. And the people of Ireland have to be THE friendliest people in the world !
I have a nephew who actually had his Bar Mitzvah in Ireland – a destination Bar Mitzvah.
Bruce, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. On my first trip to Ireland (1998) we had a camera crew with us and so we were invited behind the bar and taught how to pour and actually did the pours of Guinness for other tourists. Also, I was invited to people’s homes almost nightly in several towns for dinner (I was living in NYC at the time and seemed to be a fascination for the Irish). On our first day, in Killarney, the hotel had mistakenly not reserved a room for our guide, Jimmy Meaney. There was a husband and wife who were having brunch in the hotel’s restaurant who knew Jimmy and invited him to stay at their house. Now most people (in eastern, at least) Ireland rent out extra bedrooms to tourists. It’s B&B heaven. Jimmy said surely they must have rented their room out already. They did and said they’d sleep on cots in their garage and Jimmy could have their bedroom. I’ve been back a few more times (being 1st gen Irish-American by birth) and I really hated having to leave.
hi! please i want to be in particular contact with samantha brown through my email if posible.best regards.
Was fortunate enough to visit the Guiness Storehouse in June 2015. We did it as a day trip, leaving our hotel in London at 4am, to take the train 2 hrs to Stanstead airport, and an hour plane ride + a short green bus trip later, we got there around 10am! (Yes, we were pretty tired, but I was very determined to end the day with an “I poured the perfect pint” certificate in my hand!) We entered at the same time as a couple of tour groups, so we decided to start at the pouring area first, I believe on the 5/6 floor. We spent a few, chatting it up with the girl who against all odds, actually did teach me the proper pour, and I got my certificate to prove it! From there, the SkyBar overlooking the VERY green city, was a gorgeous backdrop to enjoy our what turned out to be yes, a “10am beer”! (Laughed when I read your story!) We then worked our way through all of the history, etc. backwards floor by floor. (A kind of funny note: escalators all the way to the top floor, but the only way to go down is an enclosed elevator! Guess tipsy could be a problem 7 stories up!) After a wonderful “Typical Irish Meal”, at a restaurant in downtown Dublin, we ran our whole day back in reverse, ending up where we started, at our hotel in London, where we collapsed and were snoring in no time flat. Our 2 weeks in the U.K.,France and Dublin, Ireland, were an absolutely amazing experience that I will never forget!
We seemed to be “Running the Gauntlet” most of our trip, and it really did catch up with us each night, but we were back at it bright and early everyday regardless!
So,the coolest part of it all, is that the other person in the “we” that I keep mentioning, was my 68 year old mother who never missed a beat, even planned the whole itinerary !
Guiness Storehouse Grade: A++++!
I spent 4 hours here and could’ve stayed longer but had other places to see. It was so much fun! It is a must visit imo!