Guinness ………… Ireland’s favorite drink and one of its most famous exports. The Black Stuff is consumed in phenomenal quantities throughout the land and its Irish adherents approach it with a respect bordering on reverence. But be warned, it is an acquired taste. When you try your free glass in the bar of the Guinness Hop Store, you may think it tastes ghastly. Its enduring success and over 10 million glasses produced each day must mean you’re wrong.
The Guinness Hop Store Museum is a delightful insight and instructive exploration of the renowned brew. The journey through the museum is a fascinating education into the history, production and the people associated with the drink, all of which is wonderfully complemented by a well-crafted audiovisual presentation. The hop store itself is located next to the old brewery in a stone-cut 19th Century building, and the entire setting has a wonderful atmosphere reminiscent of industrial life from a past age.
After the tour, next stop is the museum’s very own pub for a complimentary drink of Arthur Guinness’s inspired liquid legacy to the world. But don’t worry, if you’re not up to the challenge of your first cream-topped glass of good Guinness, you can chicken-out with a mineral, or worse still, a glass of water.
