The Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse was probably the highlight of my trip which is saying a lot considering I am not that much of a beer person.

The entry fee was 14euros for the tour starting at 9:30a.m. this seemed expensive when booking the tour online but after seeing Guinness I would pay double if I had to. Upon entering we learned the factory is complete with seven floors that are all included in the price of the tour. It is a self-guided tour, you simply reserve the time you start to control the amount of people entering at one time. Personally, I much prefer self-guided tours because they allow you to take as much time as you like on things that interest you. The first floor explains the basics of beer ie: what a hop is, fermentation, germination etc. We read through the first floor pretty quickly as both

of us have been on brewery tours before and already had a decent understanding of the process.

The third floor features Guinness advertisements throughout the years which I found interesting because you got to see how Guinness has evolved. On this floor there is a photo booth where you can put yourself into a Guinness advert. That was quite disappointing because I am 5'4" and the camera is set to a taller height so you could only see my forehead in the pictures.

The fourth floor has the Tasting Room which was incredible. You are taken through a black hallway and then you enter a bright white room, this is meant to shock your senses, it is quite successful. In the room you get a taster of Guinness that is about 1oz. I can not put into words how much better Guinness is at the storehouse then it is in bars. I had heard this rumor before going to Dublin but I always brushed it aside because "it's still Guinness, it can't be that much better!" I was wrong. It is served so cold and is much smoother and less bitter. I don't know how but it's true.

The seventh floor is where you go to get your free pint (or soft drink) at the end. The room is circular with floor-to-ceiling glass windows to give you an incredible view of Dublin. We were given our pints and just sat there to relax for a while and it was amazing.

If you are ever in Dublin do not skip this, it was amazing!