Dublin and Guinness often times go hand in hand. Especially for young men (and women for that matter) in their twenties looking for ideas from a travel guide. And so I found myself wandering through a snowy and icy Dublin on my way to St. James’s Gate Brewery, home of Guinness.

The tour is actually through the Guinness Storehouse, a building that once housed part of the brewery but is now home to what is essentially a Guinness museum and marketing tool. Flashy exhibitions give a brief history of Guinness, the ingredients in the beer, the equipment used, and of course, a number of old advertisements.

The tour itself was not all that impressive so I can’t really say it’s one of my top European travel tips.  Mostly because visitors never actually see the brewing process. Never actually see the yeast being added. Never actually see the Guinness being produced. It is a historical look at the Guinness brand, an interesting one, but not one that shows the magnitude of the world’s largest brewer of stout. Maybe you’d have more fun on the Dublin Ghost Bus Tour?

That being said, the end result was well worth the entrance fee. At the very top of the Storehouse is the Gravity Bar. A circular room with walls that double as windows looking out over Dublin. Quotes from famous Irish works of literature can be found on the glass. Along with the view, you’ll be treated to a pint of Guinness, straight from the tap, straight from St. James’s Gate Brewery. And that, despite the underwhelming tour, is hard to beat.

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