And the Top Tourism Attraction in Europe This Year Is...
Not the Eiffel Tower. Not Rome’s Colosseum. Or even Barcelona’s magnificent Sagrada Familia cathedral by Gaudi. The attraction voted Europe’s best in awards dubbed the “Tourism Oscars” also earned the title of Europe’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience 2023.
Ireland’s Guinness Storehouse is one of the highlights of a visit to Dublin, and walks visitors through the history and the making of one of the world’s most beloved beer brands and Irish cultural icon. Who doesn’t have a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day? And who would miss having a pint of Ireland’s most famous beer at the source?
The Guinness Storehouse is located in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties, the neighborhood famous for the city’s brewing and distilling heritage. Inside, it gives visitors the inside scoop about the company’s 260-year history, its iconic advertising over the generations, and what goes into brewing each pint of its famously dark and thick and hearty “meal in a glass” stout beer. Not to mention what may be the most memorable beer tasting of your life. The entire experience unfolds over seven floors, topped by the famous Gravity Bar, where visitors get to sip a Guinness while enjoying panoramic, 360-degree views over Dublin.
In addition to getting up close and personal with what Guinness fans affectionately call “the black stuff,” the brewery has developed a number of experiences you wouldn’t expect at your standard beer tour, like:
- Taking a ‘Stoutie.’ That’s not a typo. Guinness has upped the ante on the ‘selfie.’ Of course you’ll be taking selfies with your pint in front of the circular Gravity Bar’s floor-to-ceiling windows. But you can now also print your selfie on the thick, creamy foam of your Guinness. Then take a selfie with your ‘stoutie!’
- Learning the legendary, six-step ritual of pouring your own pint at the ‘Guinness Academy.’
- Immersing yourself in the ‘Connoisseur Experience,’ for real beer devotees. It’s an even more in-depth tasting and storytelling experience that gives you even more insights into the origins and flavors of Guinness.
- Going behind the scenes of the actual, operating Guinness brew-floor on a tour of the actual Guinness brewery that has been in operation since the 1700’s.
- Discovering the perfect pairing of Guinness and food at one of the several dining venues. At 1837 Bar & Brasseries (named after the year that Guinness and local Irish oysters were declared a perfect culinary match) you can dine on oysters, beef and stout stew and other local classics with curated beer pairings, or enjoy another pint at Arthur’s Bar, along with sausages and mash, and other pub food, or dine from another beer-paired, seafood-inspired menu at the Brewers’ Dining Hall, with its open kitchen, inspired by workers’ dining halls from the brewery’s history.
- Collecting more than just your average branded merchandise at a shop that sells T’s with the brewer’s iconic Irish harp motif – as well as some souvenirs thought up by some brilliant Guinness minds. You can also get that harp logo in a so-hideous-it’s-fun Christmas sweater, which is also available in a version covered in pint glasses. Or personalize your own pint glass with elegant etching – perfect for your bar at home or favorite beer lover!
It's that level of fun, quirkiness, innovation and genuine passion for one of Ireland’s most cherished drinkable delicacies that has earned the Guinness Storehouse a coveted position at the peak of European travel experiences.
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Images courtesy of Ireland.com
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