Guinness Storehouse
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The Guinness Storehouse is located in the heart of the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, and is, according to the Guiness Storehouse Web site, "Ireland’s No. 1 international visitor attraction." Since opening in November 2000, Guinness Storehouse has attracted over 4 million visitors from every corner of the globe.
The Storehouse is laid out over seven floors surrounding a glass atrium taking the shape of a pint of Guinness. On the ground floor the massive exhibit introduces you to the four ingredients; water, barley, hops and yeast, all of which combine together to make a pint of Guinness. Visitors are also introduced to the fifth and vital ingredient, Arthur Guinness himself.
As the visitor moves up through the building, they next encounter an exhibition on the history of Guinness advertising, including viewings of many of the well known TV ads from down the years.
The Guinness Storehouse also seeks to promote responsible drinking in the "Choice Zone", an interactive exhibit that encourages the visitor to examine their own drinking habits, and to recognise the dangers of drinking to excess.
In 2006, €2.5 million was invested into the Storehouse, with a new wing opening to the public incorporating a live installation of the present day brewing process. Staff now allow a few visitors to start the brewing operation themselves each year, alongside another new addition - the tasting laboratory - where visitors can learn to not just taste the Guinness, but savour it.
The Gravity Bar
The seventh floor is dedicated to the Gravity Bar, and also forms the head of the giant pint of Guinness formed by the atrium. The Gravity Bar offers a place to relax, enjoy a complementary pint of Guinness and enjoy the 360 degree views over Dublin City.[1]
History
Arthur Guinness was born in 1725 near Dublin in the town of Celbridge, county Kildare where his father, Richard Guinness, was a Land Steward. The brewing industry in Dublin at that date was suffering because English beer was taxed less severely than the home-produced product. Arthur decided to acquire what was then a small, disused and ill-equipped brewery at St James's Gate. A 9,000 year lease was signed on 31 December 1759, and the brewing, of ale initially, began. By the 1770s Arthur decided to brew Porter, a popular export from London. When he died in 1803, he left a fortune of £23,000 and his family would go on to develop the business in his name.
See also
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