"Live Dublin, Die Young"
So I get asked all the time, “What are you doing? I want to know what kind of things you are doing all over the country and the world.” So, I thought instead of telling everyone individually, I would just take some photos are write a bit up about my travels and adventures! With that said…….. Here’s some things we have done since I arrived.
Exploring
What I’ve found so far to be true is that most of Europe is a very pedestrian friendly place. Most major and minor cities alike have a nice place to walk alongside the road thats meant for bicycles, skateboards, and even those silly little Bird Scooters. It’s amazing really, the age of this city. I don’t really stop to think about just how young the USA is in comparison to the rest of the modern world. For example, there are many buildings and cathedrals around that have placards on them “est. 1548” or even “est. 1198”, which was a little mind blowing for me.
Because Dublin is a very pedestrian friendly city I don’t want to pay for taxis to take me around, and thats really two fold. One, Im just cheap… and for another, it’s nice to see the city as you walk to your destination.
Here are some things that we saw along our walk.
Since we were in Dublin, naturally we had to tour the GUINNESS factory where the origin of the “stout” beer came from. Along our way, we got a bit peckish and ducked into a pub got a nice taste of the culture, away from the major touristy area, called O’Sheay’s Merchant.
It seemed a bit flashy from the outside, but when we walked inside, I thought I had been transported into “Shaun of the Dead”
Lunch was pretty tasty. Haddock that had been caught and fried that day sure has a better taste than it does in Nashville.
Moving on from there it was another mile or so before we got to the factory, but we didn't need much of a map as there were little roadmaps that told us we were going in the right direction….for example….
When we did arrive it was far larger than I expected. Sir Arthur Guinness purchased the compound at 1759, and somehow signed an annual lease for IEP 45 (Irish Pound) €35, with a lease length of 9000 years. Which sounds a bit like a joke.
This next photo I just thought was pretty nice on the outside of the building.
So, without further ado, come inside with me for a glimpse of the GUINNESS brewery tour.
First up, they start with barley. As a matter of fact, GUINNESS buys two thirds of all the barley produced in Ireland every year to make their average of 220million gallons of the famous stout.
They roast the barley until it reaches a temperature of exactly 232°C (450°F) which takes approximately 2 hours. This roasted barley is what gives the dark beer its iconic deep ruby red color.
Next up they have all the HOPS around. These little green balls have a lot to do with the preservation of their beer, as well as adding a level of antibacterial element to their alcohol. They also only grow in specific parts of the world due to how temperamental they are. Therefore, they have to import a large amount of hop plants. GUINNESS’ famous porter stout is one of the most hoppy beers you can buy but isn’t as horribly bitter as an IPA would be.
There are two other ingredients that go into the brewing process: water and yeast. A common misnomer about GUINNESS beer is that the water comes from the River Liffey. The brewery is located right on the River Liffey but the water used in the brewing is from the Wicklow mountains.
Fun Fact: the yeast used is so special to their process that the Director of the brewery keeps a live specimen in a locked safe within his office in case something happened to a batch and all the yeast was lost in the process. This way they keep a consistent flavor even in the event of an emergency.
Something very unique about this brew is the use of 2 gasses in the infusion process. Co2 and Nitrogen. The Nitrogen is the secret behind GUINNESS’ unique “surge and settle” of head, bubbles, and smoothness.
As we moved along the tour there was an entire floor full of the history of their advertising. I didn’t realize how prevalent their advertising was until I started looking around. There were quite a few ads that I recognized immediately and had never put them together.
For example:
Some things that I had not seen before was the whistling oyster and and fish on a bicycle.
Something that was of great interest of mine was the barrel making, otherwise known as Cooperage. All of the barrels they made were completely water tight and used no adhesives at all. The master cooper used no tools of measurement and relied strictly on his eye and experience to make the perfectly formed sides of the barrel. After the wood was shaped, it would be steamed for 30 mins to make the wood malleable to what we know to be the barrel shape. Once the barrel shape is achieved and the metal bands are placed, the cooper places the barrel over a fire to seal the internal wood fibers.
In order to become a cooper you must first apprentice for 7 years under a Master Cooper. During which time you must not marry, gamble, or disobey any order given to you by the Master Cooper. (which are some odd requirements in my opinion) After the apprenticeship you then had the honor of being invited to become an official cooper.
And what would a tour to a brewery be without a proper tasting of the black gold? The photo below is just the entrance to the tasting room. I didn’t photograph the inside of the two rooms, because I wanted to leave something up to the imagination. However, I will tell you that it is a very interesting experience and one that you should not miss if you take this tour. The first room you enter is a brilliantly white room where they explain the proper way to taste the porter stout. The next room is a stark contrast to the previous with dark wood interior and busts of Guinness’ of past.
The final stop on the GUINNESS tour is the 360° view, 7 stories in the air of Dublin. The rooftop gravity bar sure is a sight to behold!
Whether or not you enjoy drinking beer, if you have the time to visit this brewery I would greatly recommend. At only €22 for the self guided tour, the value is quite good considering the amount of time you can spend in the building and the amount of information contained within. GUINNESS isn’t just historic in its own right, they also have a major impact on Ireland’s economy and are very philanthropic.
We ended the evening at the Brazen Head, Irelands oldest pub. Established in 1198 the pub is a series of full on mazes from where there have been so many add ons throughout the many years it has existed.
I do suggest the beef and GUINNESS stew for dinner. It was a good helping size, boasting a large amount of beef, carrots, mushrooms in a brown GUINNESS sauce, topped off with two large scoops of mashed potatoes.
If you’re curious where the title comes from we saw it spray painted on a wall in one of the photos above. Feel free to do some searching around for it.