February 1, 2011

The Guinness Storehouse - YUM!

Dublin is best known as the Guinness Capital of the world, so I couldn't really pass up the opportunity to take a tour around the Guinness Storehouse while I was here. I took the DART to Pearse Station again and walked along the River Liffey, which is the river that passes through the centre of Dublin and separates the North side from the South side. The North side of the city has a reputation of being a bit doggy, while the South side is home to most of the tourist attractions and nightlife. After about a half hour walk along the river, I arrived at the Storehouse. You could smell the roasted barley in the air and there were Guinness logos on almost every building. I followed the signs towards the entrance of the Storehouse and began my tour. Here are some of many interesting facts about "the black stuff", "the good stuff", "the Irish Mother's milk": 

1. Pouring a glass or pint of Guinness is a skill. A “perfect pour” should take 199.50 seconds and is poured in two pours. The first is pour at an angle of 45 degrees until it is 3/4 full. After a pause to allow the head to form to keep the flavors locked in, the rest of the glass is filled to the rim without any spillage. What is handed across the bar should have a creamy head and should be served at exactly 42.8F.

2. Over 10 million glasses are sold every day across 150 countries worldwide.

3.The famous advertisement slogan "Guinness is Good For You" is still used around the world because Guinness is loaded with iron. It was not so long ago in Ireland that pregnant women were told to drink a glass of Guinness every day to fortify themselves and their baby.

4. This wonderful stuff is made of roasted malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Also it’s not black. It actually a very nice dark ruby red.


After a seven story tour of the Guinness Storehouse, I arrived at the top to claim my pint of the "good stuff". It was my first Guinness and what better way to taste it for the first time than at the factory itself. It was delicious! Creamy and smooth, without any bitterness at all. I think that's what has turned me off Guinness; the taste changes a great deal by the time it is shipped and consumed abroad and the beer takes on a bitter taste that I don't fancy much. The bar on the seventh floor had a beautiful 360 degree view of the city. It was a perfect way to enjoy the pint. I made friends with the bartender, Kris, who is part of a band in Dublin and is going on tour later this year across Europe and hopefully to the Americas, as well. We had  a good conversation about my travels and his band, etc. Very nice guy.

One thing that I immediately noticed when I arrived in Dublin is how nice the people are. I don't think I've met anyone as friendly as the Irish. There's a saying here that goes,"the Irish can't give one word answers", meaning if you ask them a question, they go on for about five minutes trying to explain themselves perfectly so you won't have any confusion. In fact I asked a man tonight if I was going to right way towards Pearse Station and not only did he detail every turn to me, he actually ended up downing the rest of his pint and walking me to the station himself. 


Anyway, after I finished my pint I made my way further west towards Kilmainham Jail. James' had recommended it to me the night before; it gives an interesting overview of Ireland's history, as well as a very cool tour around the jail. Over the 128 years Kilmainham Gaol served as a prison, its cells held many of the most famous people involved in the campaign for Irish independence. Very cool! 

I made my way home, but before catching the DART I wanted to try some good homemade Irish stew. I found a pub with live music and ordered a big bowl of their Irish stew and a pint of cider. It really hit the spot! 

Made it home in time to relax for a bit before going to bed. Tomorrow I have to be in the city at 6:30AM in order to catch the bus to Connemara. Daniel and I played some Wii and then I passed out pretty quickly.

Goodnight from Dublin! xox
Alexis

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