Bucket list experience:
Arthur Guinness started brewing ales at the St James’ Gate Brewery in 1759, and in 1778 began selling a dark beer called ‘porter’, alongside stronger versions of the same beer, known as stout. Their popularity caught on and within a century, Guinness had become a public company, exporting more than a million barrels of the dark stuff beyond Ireland’s shores.
Today, attached to the original St James’ Gate Brewery, is this towering seven-storey grain house. Inside is a high-tech homage to Guinness is an educational, historical and fun way to pass a few hours, especially in bad weather. Along with an interesting tour of what was once a working Guinness factory, you’re treated to a free pint in the GRAVITY Bar, where 360-degree views of Dublin stretch out to the sea and mountains.
For an extra charge, you can sign up for the ‘Connoisseur’ experience in the Guinness Connoisseur Bar, which offers a guided tasting of the four most popular variants: Draught, Original, Foreign Extra Stout and Black Lager.
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Destination Guide >If the weather is nice, the best way to get there is on foot from the city centre – it’s a 20-minute walk. Visit the museum website for a free iWalk podcast, which will guide you there. Alternatively, take the tram or light rail to St James’s Hospital.
The tour of the museum is self-guided, with headphones, while Arthur’s Bar, on the fifth floor, offers tasty food and traditional Irish dishes containing Guinness.
Open daily all year. Weekends can be extremely busy, so visit during the week if at all possible.
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