By Jaylen Taylor
When we first went to the Guinness Storehouse, I honestly didn’t expect it to be anything special. I had this image in my head that it would just be a pretty boring tour through some factory where they’d quickly walk us through the process of how Guinness and other beers are made. I figured we’d see a few machines, maybe watch a short video, then get handed a free pint at the end and be on our way. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. But as soon as we walked through the doors, I was happily proven wrong.
The moment we entered, I realized this place was nothing like I expected. It looked and felt more like a museum exhibit than a factory. The first thing we saw was a massive atrium shaped like a pint glass that stretched several floors high. Everything around us was super modern, sleek, and well-designed. The first area we walked through was dedicated to showing the core ingredients used to make Guinness. There were cool displays with things like actual barley, hops, yeast, and water—all the essentials. There was even a section that recreated a wheat field and another one where you could touch and smell the grains. It wasn’t just educational—it was interactive and immersive, which made it way more interesting than I thought it would be.
The next part of the tour reminded me a lot of the EPIC museum, which I also had the chance to visit while in Dublin. There were interactive tablets throughout the Storehouse that gave us fun facts and history about Guinness. One of the facts that really surprised me was that Guinness isn’t actually black—it’s a deep ruby red. That color comes from the roasting of the barley, which was something I never would’ve guessed. Another crazy fact was that about ten million pints of Guinness are sold every single day around the world. That’s an insane number, but I guess it makes sense considering how popular it is globally. One of the coolest stories I learned was about how the Guinness Book of World Records was actually started. Apparently, it was created to settle bar arguments, which I found both hilarious and genius. Instead of just debating over random things, people could look them up and have proof. It was stuff like that—funny, interesting little tidbits—that really made the tour stand out to me.
My favorite part of the entire experience, though, had to be the taste testing area. We were led into this sleek white room with glowing pods and guided through a special tasting session. We were each given a small shot glass of Guinness and taught the “proper” way to drink it. The guide told us that we needed to take a big gulp, hold it in our mouth for a moment, then exhale through our nose before swallowing. Supposedly, this helps you taste more of the flavors and aromas. Now, to be completely honest, when I tried it, Guinness didn’t really taste any different to me than it usually does, but I still thought it was pretty cool that there’s actually a technique for how to drink a beer. It made the experience feel a little more special and unique.
After the tasting, we continued the tour and came across some really cool displays of old Guinness advertisements, bottles, and even statues of past mascots. Some of the old branding and characters were hilarious—like the Guinness toucan and the strong man lifting a pint like it weighed a ton. One of the most impressive things I saw was this light installation shaped like the Guinness harp logo. The lights were timed to change and shimmer in a way that made it feel almost magical. It was kind of mesmerizing and definitely one of the highlights of the visual side of the tour.
Eventually, we made it to the top floor of the Storehouse, which is where the Gravity Bar is located. The bar has a full 360-degree view of Dublin, and it was honestly breathtaking. You could see the whole city laid out beneath you—the rooftops, the hills in the distance, and all the little landmarks scattered around. It was the perfect way to end the tour. We were each given our free pint of Guinness, which tasted a little fresher and smoother than the ones I’ve had in other places. Maybe it was the setting, or maybe it really does taste better straight from the source—I’m not sure. Either way, it was a great way to wrap things up.
By the time we left the Guinness Storehouse, I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t just a tour—it was a full experience. From the museum-like exhibits to the interactive tastings and the incredible views at the end, everything was thoughtfully designed to make it more than just about beer. It was about history, culture, and presentation. So yeah, I went in expecting something dull and walked out having had one of the most fun and memorable experiences of the trip. I’d definitely