Lovely Day For A Guinness

Remember the classic Guinness advertisements featuring zoo animals? They had a short revival a few years ago, but they were originally created in the 1930s. One of the popular taglines from the campaign was the title of this article.

A famous brewery

Dublin is closely associated with Guinness. You are bound to see umbrellas or café awnings with the Guinness logo all over Dublin.

And the Guinness brewery at St. James’ Gate, Dublin, is now Ireland’s No. 1 Tourist Attraction.

The brewery is famous for its 9,000 years lease, which was signed in 1759 for £ 48 a year. By 1914, it had grown to become the largest brewery in the world. A section of the Guinness brewery, known as the Storehouse, has now been re-developed to become a cultural centre, featuring exhibits on the history of Guinness, art exhibition space, meeting rooms and a restaurant bar at the top.

The Guinness Storehouse is open throughout the year, except on Christmas Eve, Christmas, St. Stephen’s Day (26 Dec) and Good Friday. It is open from 9.30 am to 9.00 pm (last admission 9 pm) in July and August, and from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm in other months. Admission information is available below.

Take a walk down the history of Guinness

The building was originally used as the Hop Store, to store ingredients used to produce the famous dark beer. It now houses an exhibit known as the World of Guinness, which allows the visitor to learn more about the beer producing process. The entrance to the exhibit is an atrium shaped like a giant pint glass.

The exhibit moves along with a display of the ingredients used in the production of Guinness — yeast, hops, barley and water. This is followed by an encounter with the ingredient that puts it all together — Arthur Guinness and his heirs. You are then brought to a giant mash tun — a vat used to mix the ingredients together, where you get to see the brewing process itself. The next display is a multimedia programme about the impact that Guinness has had on the world.

The cooperage shows the various barrels and casks which were used to store the liquid, and also a comprehensive collection of the tools used to make these vessels. The transport exhibit shows the rail trains, ships and horse drays (carts) used in the past to bring Guinness to the markets. You then get to see displays on where Guinness is enjoyed today around the world, and the famous advertisements which have helped make Guinness a familiar part of life in these places.

Your free pint and a great view to round off the tour

All adult visitors get a free pint of Guinness as part of their admission, although children are only allowed a soft drink. You can enjoy your drink with a 360° view of Dublin at the Gravity Bar on the rooftop. The ticket used is actually a transparent plastic token with a drop of Guinness sealed in, and a microchip in it. At the end of the tour, the token is scanned to redeem your pint, and visitors can then keep the token as a souvenir.

                                          Admissions Information:
 

Category	Prices
Adult	EUR 13.50
Children between 6 and 12	EUR 5.00
Family (2 adults, 4 Children*)	EUR 30.00
Children under 6	No Charge
Senior Citizen	EUR 9.00
Student with ID under 18	EUR 7.00
Student with ID over 18	EUR 9.00
Standard group of 15 (15 adults in a group, price for each adult listed at right)	EUR 13.00

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Article Information
Published on 27 May 2004. This article is free for personal and commercial reproduction, with the following terms and conditions.