The Storehouse is now a preserved building in the city and its site and surroundings covers a large amount of Dublin real estate. Because it is preserved the new factory will need to built outside of the Dublin city limits. Don't feel bad...Guinness will continue to take in a ridiculous amount of money at this site. Here is the sign outside...
Its a tour, but feels like a museum and is like a million stories high. I also liked it because LCD screens and literature guided the tour, so you could take your time. Here is TJ with some Barley.
Part of the tour takes you through the process starting with barley and ending with a tasting lab before you enter some other historical aspects of the building and the product. Here are Brett and TJ making sure everything tastes okay. They might be professionals after this trip!
On the wall in the tasting lab there is a reminder of how to taste the product in each part of the mouth. So for those of you who love Guinness but have yet to make it to Dublin, here is how to really experience its taste. Our friend Jennifer is really good at knowing when a pint is perfect. I have video that I will put up of her ensuring perfection tomorrow.
At the end of the tour you get a large complimentary pint of Guinness in the top floor bar that over looks the grounds and Dublin. Here is a peak out the giant glass window...
Apparently the Guinness bar at the top of the storehouse is a Dublin hotspot. There are people everywhere. The first one is free, but you can stay and order more. This place is a gold mine. Check out the people...
After the bar we had a fantastic late lunch in the Guinness restaurant. The shopping was great too. The prices in the Guinness store may have been the most reasonable in all of Dublin, and you can get merchandise there that you can't find anywhere else. Last year they sold 1.5 million pieces of merchandise...like I said gold mine! Here is another look us in front of the Guinness St. James Gate.
On the third day we decided to continue with the drinking tours and hit the Jameson Distillery. It is certainly not on the same scale as the Guinness tour, but I liked it. I may have liked it more because I prefer whiskey over Guinness.
It was small and very informative. We went through the process of making whiskey and of course had a Jameson cocktail at its conclusion. Here is a look at some barrels at various stages of aging. You can tell which one is the oldest...it has the least amount in it. Over time the whiskey gets darker as it takes on properties of the barrel, and goes through some evaporation...they say that angels drink it and that is why angels are so happy.
In the same room of barrels I found one with my year of birth on it...good old 1978! Apparently these barrels are only good for 32 years before they lose their magic.
After the tour we headed to the Jameson bar to have a complimentary cocktail...I recommend the Jameson and cranberry. TJ and Jennifer volunteered for something at the beginning that turned out to be whiskey tasting test. Here is a picture of the table of tasters...
A close up of the actual whiskey being tasted...a Tennessee whiskey, a scotch, and a Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Afterwards TJ became a certified whiskey taster. I have always wanted a man to be able to tell the difference between whiskey and scotch...I couldn't be more proud!
After the bar, we shopped and had another late lunch in the restaurant. Another fantastic meal at a historical drinking monument! I think I can deem it offical that Ireland definitely knows what they are doing when it comes to beer and whiskey. I know this as we tried many other beers in our evening escapades to which I will discuss next time. Until then...Schones Wochenende and Auf Wiedersehen!
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