Guinness Storehouse

Since everyone we've talked to told us to go to The Guinness Storehouse, today was the day!  I bought tickets online (they give you 10% off and you get to skip the line at the front) and we were off!  It was about a 15-20 minute walk from our hostel and on the way we got another chicken/lamb kebab at Zaytoon (it's called mixed donner):

This time we had them roll it like a burrito, so we could take it on the road.

Messy, but oh, so good!

It looks gross, but trust me it's amazing!

Let's check out the sights on the way to Guinness.

This is Dublin Castle, it's a block from our hostel:

It's like the City Hall, but also a tourist attraction.

I think this is part of it too, but I'm not sure.

We passed a beautiful church, but I don't know what it was:

Random city:

Another crazy church:

Then we were finally at Guinness!

We bypassed the long line, went to this machine and printed our tickets.

We're in!  Bottom level: gift shop.

This was a 9,000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness in 1759.

Level 1: Ingredients

A huge tub of barley:

with a screen in the middle showing what they do with the ingredients.

We made a wish and threw 1 Euro in the fountain:

Second Floor: brewing

Actual brewery is next door:

Level 3: cafe, Coopering (barrel-making) and transportation:

Tools used in barrel-making.  We watched a 10 minute video on how to make a barrel and it was fascinating.

Onto transportation:

Now onto tasting:

We went into this all white room and smelled the vapors of the main components of Guinness (I forgot what they were):

Then we got a sample:

and went into the other room where this guy told us how to maximize our taste buds.  Breathe in, take a swig, swish it around, swallow and breathe out of your nose.  It really helped you notice all the flavors hidden in the beer.  Amazing.

Next up: advertising:

Whistling clam

Fish on bike

They had these iPads where you could watch different commercials from years past and see all the old posters.  It was pretty cool.

Giant screens with commercials

Famous visitors to The Storehouse:

Next up: Learn to pour a Guinness

Tilt to a 45 degree angle and pour 3/4 of the way

Then let it sit for 2 minutes

Then push the tap the other way to release the CO2 and fill to the top to create the head

We even got certificates!

We enjoyed our beer on the 7th floor at the Gravity Bar:

It was wall to wall windows with a magnificent view of Dublin:

See it in action!

I spent an exorbitant amount of money on ornaments (one for my Irish Guinness lover, Ashley) 

Then we were off!  Bye bye Guinness Storehouse!

We were getting hungry, so we went to the pub recommended by our cab driver called The Boar's Head:

We got fish and chips and Irish beef stew:

and of course:

Everything was so super delicious!  The fish was probably the best battered fish I've ever had.  It was flaky and crispy, but not greasy.  Perfection.

The stew was really tasty too, but not different than stew I've had back home.  It was done really well though.

Now we're at a pub having a couple beers and planning out getaway to the west coast tomorrow morning!  We are taking a train to Galway and then a bus to Cliffs of Moher, recommended by Jeff and multiple others we've met here.  Galway is supposed to be a fun, coastal, college town and The Cliffs of Moher are supposed to be beautiful.  Here's a map of Ireland:

Dublin is on the east coast and Galway is on the west, directly across from it.  It's a 2 and a half hour train ride, so we will stay the night in Galway and take a train back the next day.  I'll try to post, but it's been hard to find good internet.  I'm at a pub right now using their internet, surrounded by drunk people and loud techno, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
We're off to pack!