I love Guinness, so naturally I had to visit their storehouse on a recent trip to Dublin. Built in 1902, the building was the actual Guinness factory until 1988. The factory then moved to some buildings which can be seen next door. You also get the malted barley smell when entering the storehouse, setting the stage for the visit. The original building has been a museum since 2000.
When entering the storehouse one of the first things you see is the original lease contract, signed by Arthur Guinness. Most people will recognize the signature from the Guinness logo. Standing on this spot in the atrium and look up you will also see that it is built in the shape of the Guinness pint glass.
Each floor has somewhat of a theme. I really enjoyed the floor focusing on all four ingredients of the beer – water, barley, hops and yeast. There was even a waterfall bringing in the actual water they use in the beer. I also loved the advertisement floor as it is so iconic. Guides hold presentations explaining the history of the various characters.
The tour also has some interactive parts. There is a tasting experience where you first go through a room where you can smell the different ingredients of the beer. Guides explain the different ingredients, and what they contribute to the beer. Then we got at tiny glass of Guinness and were told to head into the next room. Here, a guide explained some of the history of the Guinness family before we got to try our miniature beer. I also got to pour my ovn perfect pint – which was so much fun! Again a guide was there to help and to explain the various steps.
I headed up to the Gravity Bar on the top floor to enjoy my perfectly poured pint. This bar has an incredible 360 degrees view of Dublin, with signs pointing to the most famous sites. There were also restaurants throughout the storehouse, with delicious looking food. I ended my visit with a quick shopping spree in the gift shop.
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