Dublin is filled with rolling green hills, incredible people, and—you called it—Guinness. Founded by an Irishman Arthur Guinness, he worked at St. James Gate (now the Guinness Brewery) brewing ale when he started toying with something new: a porter. Created in England, Arthur practically brought the porter to Ireland, creating a porter that was so triumphant that he stopped brewing ale and created his own: Guinness.
Today, St. James Gate is an iconic landmark in Dublin and acts as "the heart" of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. Whether you're a fan of porters, Guinness, or are planning a trip to Dublin, we have 10 fun facts everyone should know about the Dublin Storehouse (and why they should go)!
10 THE STOREHOUSE IS FAIRLY NEW
While Ireland has an incredible history dating back thousands of years, Dublin's Storehouse isn't quite so old. Although the building itself was created in the early 1900s, it was a fermentation plant for the brewery until 1988.
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It wasn't until the late '90s that they decided to turn the old factory into a storehouse museum of sorts and opened in 2000.
9 IT'S REASONABLY PRICED!
When people travel across the country to see things they could only imagine, they're secretly hoping it's free or doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Fortunately for Guinness lovers, tickets for the storefront only cost €18.50 for adults. What's better is that there are usually discounts available if you buy your tickets in advance. Your one ticket will grant you access to the entire storefront.
8 THERE ARE 7 FLOORS
If you think the Guinness Storefront is just another museum with boring speeches and pictures of porters, you're sorely mistaken. The storefront actually has seven floors for you to wander around!
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When you enter the storefront, you'll be charmed by a shop where you can buy everything Guinness (postcards, Christmas ornaments — you name it). Go up to the first floor where you'll learn about the history of The Guinness wooden barrels. From there, the second floor takes you to a tasting room, where you can smell and taste the ingredients that make Guinness special. The third floor is where you'll learn Guinness advertising tricks through its history and the fourth floor is where you can learn how to pour a Guinness properly. Enjoy a few munchies on the fifth floor to break up the tour before heading to the sixth and seventh floor, which is where you'll enter a rooftop bar!
7 YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY POUR A GUINNESS
Let's dive into the fourth floor a little more because it's pretty cool. You may have to wait in line for a little (they're pretty speedy) but you can enter the Guinness Academy where tourists will learn how to pour a Guinness correctly and learn why a Guinness should be poured differently. A bartender will teach you the way and will even give you a certificate at the end! That is if you pass...
6 THERE'S A ROOFTOP BAR WITH A 360 DEGREE VIEW OF DUBLIN
On the seventh floor, Guinness lovers can end the tour with an insane rooftop bar. (Don't worry, the bar is indoors so you won't need to worry about rain or wind.) The bar has floor to ceiling windows where tourists can get a 360 view of Dublin.
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It's an incredible view that can only be found at the storehouse. Here, you can take some pics, meet some people, and have a Guinness while you wind down.
5 THE 9,000-YEAR LEASE
You'll learn quickly that when Arthur Guinness took over St. James Gate Brewery, he signed a 9,000-year lease. You can even see a copy of it in the storehouse! Considering he's been brewing on those grounds for years, he wanted Guinness to grow there. Lucky for Dublin visitors, I don't think this storefront is going anywhere anytime soon. I mean, 9,000 years is a LONG time!
4 YOU CAN GET CUSTOM GUINNESS GLASSES
If you head over to the official website for the Guinness Storefront and order your tickets online, you can also create personalized Guinness pint glasses where you can pick up while you're there!
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If you didn't know about this little feature, you can also get them done on the spot in the shop. Nevertheless, you can have the glass say anything you like, although most people opt for their names.
3 YOU CAN SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY HERE
Unlike other "normal" tours of old breweries or museums, the Guinness Storefront is a self-guided tour. The designers put so much effort into making the museum easy to follow and filled with knowledge that you won't need a tour guide. The website says you can cruise through the seven floors in about an hour and a half, but let's be real — you're going to need longer than that. There is so much to see, touch, smell, and sip in the storehouse, you can spend all day there.
2 EACH TICKET COMES WITH A FREE PINT
As if the Guinness Storefront hasn't won us over already, each ticket comes with a free pint of Guinness whenever you see fit. Many tourists choose to cash in their free drink once they're at the rooftop bar, but others may need a refresher when eating something on the fifth floor. Whatever the case, you get a free beer out of it, so why not!
1 THERE'S A CONNOISSEUR EXPERIENCE
Classic tickets for the self-guided tour ar just under €20 as mentioned. However, there's a Connoisseur Experience that costs a little extra and may be worth your while. The "experience" lasts about an hour where you join a small group and get one-on-one with a Guinness bartender. You'll learn how Guinness's taste has changed over the years and get to taste each one to see how they've improved. You also get to leave with a free beer as well!