DUBLIN, IRELAND. The Guinness Factory Tour is a tourist attraction which is fun and worth the money. I say this because it is an experience, with the many exhibits and activities available inside.
Exhibit on Cultivation of Barley | Robert Persky
The brewery was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness and is now the largest brewery in Ireland (also the largest brewer of stout in the world). The company moved its headquarters to London in 1932 and merged with the producer Diageo in 1997. The beer has a burnt flavor and is creamy because it is mixed with nitrogen when poured.
The first part of the tour is a self-guided tour of the brewing process. Modern structures show the process, for example, there are video projections that show the cultivation of barley and hops, and an indoor waterfall with literature to explain the importance of Dublin’s pure water. Other exhibits include one on the barrels used for fermentation, a museum on Guinness advertising, and a section on the transportation of Guinness around the world.
There is a tasting room, where you get to try a special type of Guinness (chosen that day) and where smells are pumped into the room to give you a clear aroma of the beer. At a different station, you can learn to pour your own Guinness (but this costs 5,00 euros more if you choose to save your free beer for the Gravity Bar). There is also a café selling snacks and a store selling merchandise.
Guinness Pint | Robert Persky
A trip to the Guinness Factory can easily last two hours. You start at the bottom of the structure and work your way up its seven stories. On the top floor (the seventh floor) is a gravity bar. The gravity bar is surrounded by glass windows, and it is where you get a free pint of Guinness (included with the ticket to enter). From here, you can see views of Dublin and the surrounding Guinness factory (the Guinness factory building is one of the tallest buildings in Dublin). I talked to the bar tender for a while, who knew a lot about the beer and was willing to teach me about it.
Wi-fi is free. The factory, like most of Dublin, is easy to walk to. It is a little far from other attractions, but you see why (because it is surrounded by a Guinness complex where they actually make the beer).
Tickets are 16.50 euros for adults and 13,00 euros for students over 18. Book tickets online before going, because you save 10% (only on adult tickets) and don’t have to wait in a line to enter. I thought this price, with what it offered, was worth it. I also went to the Jameson Factory, which costs 10,00 euros, and I thought the experience was disappointing and not worth the price when compared to the Guinness Factory.
Guinness Storehouse
St James’s Gate
Dublin 8, Ireland
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.aspx
Tel. +353 1 408 4800
Hours: Mon to Sun 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Indoor Waterfall | Robert Persky
Entrance to Tasting Room | Robert Persky
Advertising Exhibit | Robert Persky
View from Gravity Bar | Robert Persky