Drinking in Dublin: Guinness turns 250 years old (video)

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(Photos: Wikipedia, public domain)

By Jane Lasky 

On my way out the door to Dublin, a good friend told me the Guinness Storehouse at St. James' Gate Brewery turned 250 years old in 2009. He insisted I put the attraction on my already lengthy itinerary.

This didn't sound tempting since I detest beer, but when Matt told me that not only is Guinness not beer ("It's more like a beer milkshake," he said), the former fermentation plant is actually a museum with note-worthy architecture.

Convinced.

Built in 1670, the imposing storehouse was the British Isles' first steel framed, multi-story structure built in the Chicago style. Resembling a giant pint glass topped off by the Gravity Bar serving stunning panoramic views and VERY fresh pints of Guinness, an expansive exhibition space takes advantage of a huge glass atrium.

Each floor of this visitor's attraction (number one in Ireland) goes into a different aspect of the Guinness story, beginning on ground level by introducing founder Arthur Guinness, who took a chance and signed a 9,000 year lease on the St.James Gate brewery (see video below).

Touring takes about four hours. Besides soaking up Guinness history through interactive exhibits, the Storehouse's retrospective shows much memorabilia, including some from the Guinness Book of World Records. Another favorite spot in this museum is a gallery of all the cool Guinness ads from over the years.

So intrigued, I nearly forgot I was expected to taste Guinness. Getting ready, I bit into a key ingredient: roasted barley, reminiscent of a coffee bean. Holding my nose, I took a sip. No, I didn't enjoy the taste, although the experience wasn't totally terrible.

After that, our group learned how to draw a proper pint from Guinness' master brewer. Quite the serious ceremony involving a little skill and a lot of luck, I was somewhat successful on my second try after which I bravely knocked back a big gulp. I admit: The taste was getting to me.

"I'm not surprised," said the master brewer. "Most people who come here have never tried Guinness, but if they stick with it, they often do acquire a taste that cannot be denied."

On to raising the Guinness bar, the city's highest pub. Some of our group drank, some simply gazed out at Dublin spread before us, all its treasures and hidden gems waiting for us to discover.

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 For some videos from YouTube on Guinness, the second one a cool new Guinness ad using hand tricks, watch below: