Current location: The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin.
A poem about Guinness.
“Ye got to Fancy this Hearty Stout, Aye,
Soot-soaked with tub-flavoured Laurels of Gold
Now bloke-haste Juggers tick your nerves on-high
And make ye shout the Trumpet-Football-Fold
Yet so, our Celtic Spirit comes to call
For you to Jig their Post-Victorious Dance
Or, if upset, prefer to keep knees on hold
And hope such Font will get you that Romance
Still, never deny those After-Glugs won’t count
In palling the Bet for Arsenal’s Wear
Sudden Death Match will cause the Team to Mount
And show those Charbarrels a Reason to Tear.
Raise a Swig, to where there Brave Captains be
I take me Share, and drink the Sailor in me”
-Xavier Paolo Josh Mandreza
Is it worth visiting the Guinness Storehouse?
Although I am far away from Ireland at the moment, I think I need to say a few words about the Guiness factory in Dublin.
It is considered one of the most famous destinations for tourists: the legendary Guinness brewery ranks first among the most visited places in Ireland. Built in 1759, this establishment occupies 26 hectares of land. In reality, people do not visit the factory itself, for obvious safety reasons, but you explore a museum dedicated to the Guinness as a “product,” thanks to a pioneering project that has been able to adapt the structure of the original brewery, transforming it into a building that rises to seven floors, assuming the form of a pint of Guinness. Although the cost of the visit may seems high, it cannot be missed for all those who love the Irish culture.
What is possible to see inside?
The ingredients:
All the components of the beer are illustrated and shown in immense barrels and you have the chance to touch and smell them up close (of course, not now because of Covid, but they are planning to reopen this attraction soon).
The production:
It shares the whole process between boiling, fermentation, maturation and mixing.
The bottlers:
The great art of building barrels is illustrated in detail. Also, transport from the old carriages to the most modern systems for transporting beer is really interesting to hear about.
Advertising promotional campaigns:
They have become legendary, from old-fashioned posters to modern commercials.
Arthur Guinness and the whole story of how Guinness was born (translated from this website):
He died in 1803, leaving a thriving and profitable business in the hands of Arthur II, one of his ten sons. In 1839, beer production reached 80,000 barrels per year, over 130,000 hectolitres, an unprecedented result. The next step was to register, in 1862, the GUINNESS ® trademark. The growth of the company was unstoppable, to the point that in the 1980s, the brewery in Dublin became the largest in the world, culminating in 1886 to be even listed on the Stock Exchange, the London Stock exchange, of which Edward Guinness became president. Guinness arrives at the end of the century in great shape: the production is about two million hectolitres and the most famous dark beer in the world invades the markets of the whole planet. It is precisely during this period that the now famous brand acquires some of the symbols that will make it recognisable throughout the world as an Irishproduct: the Irish harp and the signature of the founder Arthur, both still visible today on the label.
The tasting:
If you keep the entrance ticket, you can enjoy a free pint in the beautiful Gravity Bar, a magnificent panoramic point overlooking the city.
