Visiting Guinness and Jameson and Ireland’s top breweries and distilleries

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A visit to Ireland means many things – glorious scenery, historic attractions, friendly people, and great food and drink.  Mention to friends that you are heading to Ireland and they will tell you not to miss the beer or the whiskey. 

Of course, you can sample these drinks at any pub along your route, but you can also  learn a lot about these beverages by going to the distilleries and breweries – and tasting the drinks at their source. Learn how the drink started, what ingredients are used, and how it is made.

After arriving in Dublin, the first place that most people head for is the Guinness Storehouse at the St. James Gate Brewery, a visitor center dedicated to telling the tale of the Guinness Stout, a drink that is synonymous with Ireland. First made by Arthur Guinness in 1759, today this dark brew is enjoyed in over 150 countries around the world.

Sitting on the south bank of the River Liffey, this Guinness enterprise claims to be the #1 tourist attraction of Dublin – and it certainly seems to be, judging by the crowds who line up to admission each day. Step inside and enter a giant pint-shaped glass atrium, and then follow a walk-through “Guinness Experience” tour, explaining how the famous black brew is made (of barley, hops, water and yeast). It is not an actual brewery tour, although many visitors expect it to be.

Nevertheless, the experience is still wildly popular, possibly because the tour culminates with a complimentary pint of Guinness for every adult guest in the “Gravity Bar,” a rooftop pub with 360-degree views of Dublin. Book online and save 10% off the admission price.

The Storehouse also stocks a mind-boggling array of Guinness–themed glasses, clothing, and souvenirs. More information: Guinness Storehouse, St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, tel. 01-408-4800; web: www.guinness-storehouse.com

A beverage even older than Guinness in Ireland is whiskey, believed to have been concocted first in the 6th century by Irish monks who called it "uisce beatha" - the water of life. Eventually, it evolved into a popular drink produced by many distilleries including one founded by John Jameson (circa. 1780). 

John Jameson’s original building in Dublin is now known as Old Jameson Distillery. Although it is no longer an active production site, it has been converted into a heritage center that tells the story of Irish whiskey using an audio-visual on the tradition of distilling, with a walk-around tour of the whiskey-making process – from malting and storing barley, and mashing and fermentation, to distilling and maturation.

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