Back from our trip to Ireland and more precisely from our visit to Dublin, I hasten to write you this article on one of the essentials of Dublin, a real institution of the Irish capital, the Guinness Storehouse: the guinness museum.
For those who arrive on this article without really knowing what is and Guinness Storehouse, it is quite simply the museum of one of the most popular brands of beer, not only in Ireland, but in the whole world: Guinness.
Although we will talk more about the history of Guinness and its founder, Arthur Guinness a little later, here are some figures that will set the scene.
Guinness was founded in 1759 and today brews over 900 million liters of beer a year.
Let's start this article by visiting this historic place that is the Guinness Storehouse and then discuss the history of this company of Irish origin now based in London!
Visit the Guinness Museum Dublin- Visit the Guinness Storehouse, the Guinness Museum in Dublin
- The Arthur Guinness Story
- Practical information for visiting the Guinness Storehouse
- My opinion on the Guinness Museum in Dublin
The visit to the Guinness Storehouse is included in the City Pass Dublin. A pass that allows you to save on your visits to Dublin.
You can also buy admission to the Guinness Storehouse museum separately.
Visit the Guinness Storehouse, the Guinness Museum in Dublin
Let's get to the heart of the matter with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, a museum which, opened in 2000, has close to one million annual visitors. The Guinness Museum is now the most visited (paying) place in the whole country!
An industrial district steeped in history
The Guinness Storehouse tour begins as soon as you arrive in the museum district. Located in the old industrial district of the city, the Guinness Storehouse is reached after a walk in the middle of these astonishing and impressive industrial buildings. At a bend in one of the streets, you will undoubtedly come across the iconic St James's Gate brewery door. It bears the name of the first brewery installed here before the acquisition of the latter by Arthur Guinness.
Although the factory itself has moved a few blocks from this neighborhood, the buildings are still owned by the Guinness company.
The discovery of this district is already a first visit in itself, it bears witness to the history of the brand. Look down and you will no doubt notice a railway line built when the factory had become too large and the quantities of material to be transported too great. This joins the River Liffey below and thus supplied the barges transporting the precious liquid.
A unique building
In addition to the district, it is also the building where the Guinness museum is located which is steeped in history. Built in 1904, this building was used as a fermentation building until the 1980s. The originality of this building lies in the fact that it was the first steel frame building to have several floors. In a few words, this building was quite simply the first skyscraper in the whole of the United Kingdom!
Course of the visit
Entrance to the Guinness Museum is done in the traditional way, control of the Health Pass in times of pandemic, then control of the entrance tickets. In season, it is strongly recommended to buy your entrance ticket before your visit to avoid too long a wait. It is possible to buy the ticket alone or to opt for the Dublin city pass. In the latter case, you will only have to show your pass on your mobile or printed at the entrance to the museum. After having your entrance ticket (or your city pass) scanned, you will be given a colored wristband, indicating to which bar you will be entitled to enjoy a free drink.
Once inside, you will inevitably be struck by the size of the museum. It is spread over 7 floors, all dedicated to one of the parts of Guinness history.
The ground floor is dedicated to the impressive shop, a must for a visit to the Guinness museum. You will inevitably find a little something to bring back as a souvenir of this visit.
The first floor is entirely devoted to the production of beer. We learn how beer is made, where the ingredients come from, the different manufacturing processes, etc.
1 – Making Guinness
In the case of Guinness, we learn that the brewery uses nearly 140 tonnes of barley grown in Ireland. The Irish climate is very favorable to the cultivation of these cereals. However, the weather affecting crops, the barley received by Guinness is different each year. Thus experts from Guinness work, each year, in collaboration with the growers to understand what will be the particularity of each harvest. A meticulous work that guarantees the brewer an exceptional quality for their beer.
Barley is involved in the very first stage of making Guinness, the germination. The barley is immersed in water until the grain germinates.
Once germinated, barley becomes malt. This is then dried, at 232 degrees Celsius. A higher temperature than most other beers, which gives it a very dark color.
Then comes the stage of brewing where water and previously crushed malt are mixed. The water comes, not from the River Liffey, but from the Wicklow mountains. A water that contains few minerals but loaded with calcium and magnesium sulphate which makes it particularly suitable for making "Stout" type beer such as Guinness.
Comes the time to add hops. It is he who gives bitterness. Hops are imported from different countries since the Irish climate does not allow its cultivation.
Once the brewing is finished, it's the turn of the fermentation. Fermentation consists of letting the beer rest after adding yeast to it. Guinness uses a special yeast recipe of which only Guinness has the secret. It is this yeast that gives this particular taste to Guinness.
Another peculiarity of Guinness, it contains, since 1959, a mixture of Co2 and nitrogen which gives it the very special creamy texture. This mixture of gases also contributes to the hold of its foam which seems to flow into the glass after serving it.
During the visit to the Guinness Museum, you will learn that a pint of Guinness contains around 30 million bubbles!
2 – Quality control
Once finished, it's time to taste this beer. Every day at 10 a.m. sharp, tasters test Guinness and ensure its quality. It must have the same taste and meet many criteria.
3 – Putting in barrels
The history of Guinness cask is interesting. For nearly 200 years, until 1963, beer was transported in barrels made of wood. These barrels were then the only means of transporting the millions of liters of beer. Guinness then set up a factory for these famous barrels inside the factory itself. In the 1920s, the factory had more than 300 coopers who manufactured more than 1 barrels per week! A particular workforce complicated to recruit since at the time the training of cooper was one of the most complex with 000 years of training.
It was then that in the mid-1950s, metal barrels made their appearance. Much more practical for many reasons, this mode of conditioning is then massively adopted. In view of the stocks of wood remaining at the Guinness factory and the highly qualified labor available to it, the factory decided, for a few years, to start manufacturing furniture in order to sell off its stocks.
4 – Transportation
After the barreling then comes the transport of the beer. An exceptional quantity, exceptional means. Over time Guinness has acquired many means of transport. First of all, the company installed a train to transport the beer from its warehouses to the quay of the Liffey where the barrels were then loaded onto barges and then boats. Guinness then had its own ship company which was, for a few years, the first liquid transport company in the world!
You will discover, in this part of the Guinness museum, all the means of transport used to convey this merchandise: trains, trucks, boats or planes!
A little further in the museum, you will come face to face with a wooden sculpture surmounted by a white cloud. Take a step back to see that this sculpture is none other than a pint of Guinness. Carved out of the wood, this structure tells the story of the Irish firm and these important moments.
5 – Guinness advertisements
The upper floor is dedicated to advertising. It is interesting to see how brand advertising has evolved over the years. Interestingly, the brand did not need to advertise for the first 170 years of its existence. It was not until 1929, after the First World War, that Guinness decided to surround itself with a communication agency.
Some of the brand's communications have marked the ages, such as their very first advertisement, which appeared in 1929 in a newspaper which mentioned an impossible slogan these days "Guinness, is good for you", understand, "Guinness, it's good for you ".
Another advertising campaign is particularly noteworthy, that of Gilroy which consists of staging animals from the zoo.
Other campaigns use one of the brand's emblems, the famous Toucan Guinness.
6 – Gravity bar and tasting
Last step of this visit to the Guinness Museum, the tasting. This takes place at the Gravity Bar, this bar is undoubtedly the highlight of the visit to the Guinness Storehouse. Climb to the very top of the building, beyond level 7 and discover a unique place.
The Gravity bar is none other than the "foam" atop the pint of Guinness that the museum represents. Circular in shape and fully glazed, the bar offers you an exceptional 360 degree view of the whole of Dublin.
Taste your choice of a Guinness or Hop House 13 beer, or a soft drink offered free of charge on presentation of your entry ticket.
The Arthur Guinness Story
The history of Guinness is intimately linked to the history of its founder Arthur Guinness. This one, from a family of brewers, decides to brew his own beer, in County Kildare where he is from, during the first 3 years. It was after receiving an inheritance of 100 pounds (a very large sum for the time) from his godfather that Arthur Guinness sought a new place, in Dublin, to brew his beer.
It was therefore in 1759 that Arthur Guinness, then aged 34, decided to set up his brewery in St James's Gate. At the time, he signed a 9-year lease with the owner of the premises. St James's Gate is then only a vast land of 000 acres (approximately 4m²). Over the years, this St James's Gate site grew from 16 acres to 000, then 4 to finally expand to 20 acres (approximately 40 m²).
You can admire the copy of the lease at the start of your visit to the Guinness Museum. This lease is signed by Arthur Guinness, a signature that can also be found on all the bottles and cans of Guinness sold around the world.
Arthur Guinness brewed his beer until his death in 1803 at the age of 78.
Practical information for visiting the Guinness Storehouse
How to get to the Guinness Storehouse?
There are several ways to reach the Guinness Storehouse:- Walk : Reaching the Guinness Storehouse from central Dublin on foot will take you around 25 minutes. 2 kilometers separate the Temple Bar district from the Guinness Museum
- By tram: Take the red tram line towards 'Tallaght'. All you have to do is stop at the "James's" stop. From this stop, you will have to walk a few minutes to reach the museum entrance.
- By bus: Dublin is particularly well served by buses. Many buses can take you around the Guinness Museum. To find out which line to take, go to the TFI (Transport For Ireland) website.
What are the Guinness Storehouse opening hours?
The Guinness Storehouse is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 18 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 19 p.m.How much does it cost to visit the Guinness Museum?
Entrance to the museum with a free beer tasting costs 22€. However it is included in the Dublin City Pass.How to book your visit to the Guinness Museum?
Go to an activity booking platform that will allow you to buy your entry to the Guinness Storehouse.How long is the Guinness Museum visit?
The visit to the Guinness Museum is relatively long. Count at least 1h30 of visit, plus time to taste your beer afterwards.My opinion on the Guinness Museum in Dublin
Visiting the Guinness Museum is a must for me during a stay in Dublin. Whether you're a beer fan or not, a visit to the Guinness Museum goes far beyond simply teaching you about the making of beer. Guinness is an institution in Ireland and part of the country's heritage. To understand the history of Guinness is to understand part of the country's history. I therefore highly recommend a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.
