Visiting the Guinness beer factory is a major attraction for tourists in Dublin. Ask anyone around and they can tell how to get there, as they narrate their own experience about this huge factory in the heart of the capital. A story worth exploring yourself...
As soon as you arrive to the Guinness buildings, you'll be amazed by this height and impressive structures this brand holds . I was honestly impressed and started preparing myself for the experience... What's inside is even much more outstanding than you could ever imagine.
"Come and explore Ireland's number one visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable welcome and a magical journey deep into the heart of the world famous GUINNESS® brand and company. This historical building is central to Dublin's and Ireland's heritage, and has been continually updated to create a blend of fascinating industrial tradition with a contemporary edge. The seven floors bring to life the rich heritage of GUINNESS®, telling the story from its origins here at St. James's Gate in Dublin to its growth as a global brand, known all around the world."
The tour starts on the lower floor, -1 level. As a first impression you feel like you're visiting a museum. Inside this building that was a fermentation house since 1904. An impressive metallic structure painted in red and black with its low ceiling and artistic walls writings. For the next couple hours, a series of escalators will take you from a level to the other into the world of Guinness.
Your experience starts by standing at the bottom of the world's largest pint glass, which rises up through the centre of the seven story building. If full, the giant pint glass atrium would hold 14.3 million pints of Guinness. At the bottom of the glass atrium you will see the 9000 year lease that our founder Arthur Guinness signed on the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin - the lease marks the beginning of the Guinness story and also the beginning of your journey through the world of Guinness.
The next stop was the ground floor that will really make you stand in awe. Seven floors appear one stacked over the other in a metallic structure that has been left as is since the last century only decorated with fine arts and designs. This level is the introductory one hosting the main store and the Guinness archive.
It's better you keep the shopping for the end. Follow the arrows that will lead you to the ingredients room. Water, barley, malt and hops explained in a simple way as they let you know in a subtitle way that this company is owned by Diageo. I honestly didn't know this fact before.
Passing the waterfall, the first floor awaits. A step by step tour around the brewing process educates you on the malting, roasting, milling and mixing of barley before it being filtered and boiled with hops. On this floor as well, an exhibition about Guinness's ancient transport methods and cask making is programed. If you feel like relaxing for a few minutes, the Barge Cafe is here as well.
Since we learned about beer making, it is now time to learn how to taste Guinness on the second floor. The art of how to taste Guinness has been passed down from generation to generation in this brewery. The taste experience takes you into a unique journey. The trip starts in the clear white room where stations dissipate concentrated aromas of the beer ingredients to understand which does what followed by a tasting experience in the dark Georgian saloon. Here, I learned that the chocolate coffee flavor comes from toasted barley, bitterness and citrusy floral flavors from the hops, sweet and biscuit from the malts and the beer's dark colour from the roasted barley.
Swirling clouds tumble as the storm begins to calm. Settle. Breathe in the moment, then break through the smooth, light head to the bittersweet reward. Unmistakably Guinness, from the first velvet sip to the last, lingering drop. And every deep-dark satisfying mouthful in between. Pure beauty. Pure Guinness.
The third floor is dedicated to the advertising campaigns of Guinness throughout the years. Fun, shows and social media, this floor doesn't need much concentration preparing for the fourth floor if you choose to access the academy. Don't forget to add your note on the Guinness Facebook wall.
Five floors already and it was lunch time. Traditional Irish food prepared with Guinness beer is what to expect or simply drop by the Arthur's bar for a beer. Exchange your free pint voucher at the bar and enjoy a cold Guinness the way it should be. There is a long tradition of using Guinness stout in cooking and as an accompaniment to food. All the classic dishes in the Brewers Dining Hall, for example the world famous Beef and Guinness stew, are made by a dedicated catering team with years of experience in cooking with Guinness.
Sit and relax in Arthur's Bar on the fifth floor, enjoying spectacular views of the St. James's Gate Brewery as it goes about its daily task of brewing the millions of glasses of Guinness beer that are consumed each day around the world. When the steam billows from the immense steel vessels in the brewery yard - you know that the crucial phase of boiling down the 'wort' has again been reached.
And here we are, on the seventh floor, one of the highest points of Dublin with a 360 degrees view. A glass sphere filled with the day's sunlight giving access to the world. Wellington Monument, Phoenix Park, Criminal Courts of Justice, St James Gate Brewery, St Patrick's Tower, Choke Park, Howth Head, The Spire, Liberty Hall, Trinity College, Brampton Stoker, the Avila Stadium, St Patrick Cathedral and Wicklow Mountains can all be seen from up here. When you reach GRAVITY® Bar, as many have said, you have truly reached the top of the world.
Three hours after the start of this long journey along the escalators, we took the elevator back to the ground floor for some Guinness souvenirs shopping. An interning experience everyone visiting Dublin shouldn't miss. Give it all the time especially if you like beer. Here you will find an emporium of treats, GUINNESS® casual wear and memorabilia, much of which being unique and exclusive to the Guinness Storehouse. It is in the Guinness Store that you can also create or collect your personalized bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or the Genealogy certificate of your ancestors.
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Beer St. James Tourists Ireland Factory brewery dublin guinness attraction visit dublin storehouse pint
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Travel & Tourism
