Guiness Storehouse Dublin
I'm on the 8-4-22 Best of Ireland Small Group tour. I am not a beer drinker. Does anyone who has visited the Guiness Storehouse feel it would be a worthwhile visit if you are not into drinking beer? There seems to be plenty of free time in Dublin the day I arrive as well as day 2 so I'm looking to fill in that time. Anyone have other suggestions besides the Guiness Storehouse?
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We enjoyed our visit to the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail). We also did the Guinness Storehouse tour. It's about their history, how they produce, the regional varieties they make , and a pint or two at the end. If not a beer drinker I think it would be a waste of time and money. Enjoy your trip. Ireland is beautiful.
We didn't go to the storehouse and I've read mixed reviews. We did go to the Chester-Beatty library which is actually a museum with interesting artifacts that he collected and donated. Free admission though they ask for a donation. Unlike seeing the Book of Kells it's not crowded so you have plenty of time to tour it. It's on the grounds of Dublin castle.
I second AshvEd's recommendation of Kilmainham Gaol. I've also heard that there is a museum about the Easter Rising at the GPO that was not there 21 years ago when I was in Ireland. I have "Best of Ireland Small Group" booked for 2023, and plan to visit that museum on my own.
If you are a fan of Seamus Heaney, or as an introduction, the free exhibit Listen Now, Again at Dublin's National Library of Ireland, which opened in 2018, is a moving tribute to a great poet, with recordings, videos, photographs and other memorabilia. I find his evocative words resonate in these times. Btw atomptom, you make me feel better: I'm not much of a wine drinker (in Napa, I preferred the grape juice), but as it is nearly impossible to find a European tour without a winery tasting, I just plod along, though I have rejected itineraries with too many such visits. i'm ok with Guinness, whiskey and other libations.🥂
I visited the Guiness Storehouse in 2008. I enjoyed the tour. It provided information on the beer making process and the history of Guiness beer. The beer tasting after the tour takes place in a room at the top of the building that offered great panoramic views of Dublin. At the time, it was the tallest building Dublin. I don't know if that is still the case.
My wife isn't a beer drinker either but she had a schooner of Guiness just to say she experienced one of the national drinks of Ireland. We like to try the local cuisine even if it isn't to our liking. Examples of this are when we tried guinea pig in Peru, deep fried crickets in China, etc. These are examples of things that will never cross our palates in the US, but "when in Rome" we at least try a taste of things when they are made available.
And if you don't like Guinness, they make an excellent lager called Harp. I only use Guinness to make beef stew.
I agree with Sam.
And now an amusing anecdote:
When my kids were young, we did a family trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. My wife wasn't a beer drinker and I was never fond of Budweiser (except the Czech version, Budvar, which is quite different), but we did the brewery tour anyway. At the end, there was a tasting. After I partook in the tasing, my wife asked me how the beer was. I replied, "Budweiser is just as bad fresh as it is in the can."
If you are not a beer drinker, at all, and we are not, starting with Guinness is a leap- nasty stuff!
AlanS - Guinness is my favorite beer!
Around St. Patrick's Day, I found Guinness Chocolate Stout Cake here, dark and moist. Lots of recipes online. Guinness supposedly does not travel well, so best to try it in its home.
I haven't tried the cake recipe yet. The stew is sort of an Irish version of Beef Borguignon.
Claudia - Is the stew you make anything like Guiness Pie? Our local pub serves both Shepherds Pie and Guiness Pie. Here's a picture of its Guiness Pie.
AlanS - Going to Ireland and not having a Guiness is like going to Jordan and not swimming in the Dead Sea.
We were in Ireland in 2015 and very much enjoyed our visit to the Guinness Storehouse. It was very interesting and you don’t have to drink the beer. We enjoyed the view from the top floor while enjoying our beer.
Sam, there's a lot of different recipes for both the stew and the pie. I don't put a crust on it - just serve it with good bread. That pie looks yummy.
In Dublin we ate at Gallaghers Boxty house and I had potato cakes with beef and mushrooms in a cream sauce with a pint of their lager. Delicious. The potato cake was more like a crepe. Perfect end to a long day spent touring the Boyne valley.
Oh, we finally had a Guinness, a few sips at least, at the farewell dinner- yuk!- but we also tried meade during a Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle before the start of the tour, did an Irish whiskey tasting at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, but the best "Irish" beverage was an old standby complete with a game-board contest, we had during a quick, on-our-own lunch in Galway
The Jameson Distillery on Bow St. in Dublin has a tour and whiskey tasting. We found that fun and enjoyable.
The Jameson Distillery/museum tour in Midleton is part of the itinerary for Best of Ireland. I don't generally care for whisky (neat or with ice) but did appreciate this one. At the end they gave you a choice of drinks which includes a cocktail made with ginger ale, lime and Jameson. That I did like and we've made them at home.
I grew up in Cork, Ireland and Murphy's stout was extremely popular among the local beer drinkers. I understand that the main difference between them aside from the light roasted barley notes is that Guinness seems to have more fruity notes and yeast character, and the Murphy's is a bit more malt-thick and has some chocolate/coffee that the Guinness lacks. Also, there is another stout called Beamish that is similar to Murphy's.
Smiling Sam - Your photo looks a lot like "The Canyon's Crown Restaurant and Pub" on Tanque Verde and the Guinness Pie is absolutely delicious.
For the record: "In modern usage, whisky is from Scotland and whiskey is from Ireland. The difference comes from the translation of words from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms. In the late 1800s, Scottish whisky was also very poor quality; therefore the Irish producers wanted to differentiate their product. It is generally spelled “whiskey”—with an e—in the US and Ireland and “whisky”—without the e—in Scotland and Canada,"
Noreen - You got it right with the Canyon's Crown Restaurant and Pub. We've eaten there a couple of times in the last month, it's only a couple of miles from our house.
A bit of information about Guiness. It's "carbonated" with nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide. That gives it the smaller bubbles and foamy consistency. When properly drawn at a pub, the process of skimming the excess foam and allowing the foam to settle and adding more beer takes a while. You'll sometimes hear the barkeep asking if you want to "start another" when your pint finally arrives. If your Guiness is properly drawn, you should be able carve your initials in the head and still read them when you finish (I've personally tested this - it worked for me).
Guiness, to me, tastes better in Ireland than here in the states. I'm not sure if this is due to freshness, the way the pints are drawn, or my imagination. In any case, I agree that everyone should try a Guiness at least once in Ireland.
A great alternative to Guiness is their red ale - Smithwick's. There's a Smithwick's Experience in Kilkenny, but it's closed for now due to COVID (scheduled to reopen sometime this summer).
We plan to do the Storehouse on our upcoming Best of Ireland trip.
And don't forget to pronounce it correctly- in Ireland it is Smith icks. no "w"
Smiling Sam - The pub is about four miles from where we live in the foothills. Ken, you are correct there is no comparison between Guinness in Ireland and the US. The taste is completely different and we have been disappointed every time we have ordered it in the US even in places like Boston and New York.
There could be two reasons that Guinness tastes better in Ireland. First, it is supposed to be consumed at room temperature and second, it ma be the water that is used to brew it. If the beer is produced in the US, and I don’t know if that is what occurs, it will taste different because the water is different.
In the old days, we would recommend nursing mothers drink Guinness because it had iron and was supposed to increase milk supply. I drank it for a while but the calorie gain is a negative.
I'd also add: beware of the "Special Export" version of Guiness that shows up in the US (and on our favorite cruise line...I'm trying to educate them). It has a higher alcohol content and is harsh and bitter...maybe they think this is what sells in the US? If you buy Guiness in the US, be sure to get it in the draft cans. They have a widget containing nitrogen which infuses the beer when opened and gives you a pretty good copy of the way draft Guiness tastes in Ireland. Accept no less.
I will attest that drinking Guiness in Ireland tastes much better than the Guiness here in the US. It is also much better for you when you drink it over there. At least that is what they advertise.
I agree. the Guinness I had in Ireland was better than what we get in the US (but I still like it here).
That ad campaign, I remember it well as a child on the TV too, until advertising standards pointed out, it wasn’t all that good for you
Give me a good 15 year single malt. If I want to taste motor oil I’ll join NASCAR. 😜