When it comes to visiting the epitome of Irish ‘spirits’, 2 museums stand out: (1) Guinness Brewery and (2) Jameson Distillery. I was pressed with my time in Dublin, something that I always get into tangle with, UGH, so I made a conscious decision to only choose 1… Guinness is it! Well, the Gravity Bar actually made the decision easy, as well as visiting 2 boozy destinations in a day might just be too much, isn’t it? Let us not forget, I am still a lady =)
Arthur Guinness and the 9000-year lease
Arthur Guinness, the founder of Guinness, and the 9000-year lease of St. James’s Gate Brewery that he signed in 1759. The brewery occupies 60 acres of land on Dublin’s south side.
The Guinness Storehouse is MASSIVE! Located in the heart of St. James Gate Brewery, a leased property that Arthur signed for 9000 years, the storehouse was previously the fermentation plant between 1904 and 1988 (take note: this is not the actual brewery). My Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or self-guided tour was quite informative, I enjoyed checking out the old building which is designed in the shape of a giant pint of Guinness, that, if full, would hold 14.3 Million pints! There was also a Guinness tasting experience which I skipped because I can still savour the 4 pints I had the night before on the tip of my tongue and down my throat.
Guinness Storehouse tour
If I were to compare the 2 brewery museums I visited that same week, I would say that I enjoyed the Heineken visit more mainly because of their highly interactive, engaging and entertaining activities but Guinness has left a superb impression as well, not only for its size and space, but for its cool Gravity Bar that was my tour finale.
Guinness Advertising and Tasting
Gravity Bar and the Views
The last part of this tour is a visit to the Gravity Bar, located at the 7th floor, the topmost floor of the Guinness Storehouse. This is the highest bar of Dublin that offers a 360-degree panorama of the city. Best way to end the tour indeed (and with a free pint as well)!
Nice views, love the floor to ceiling walls and windows.
It was beautiful to see the derelict charm of Dublin from the top. And oh, by the way, when it comes to drinking beer, I prefer Guinness over Heineken.
My Guinness loot
Travel Period: September 2010
Destination: Dublin, Ireland
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