Ireland: Dublin (Part II)

First stop — Guinness.

Vinnie, dad and I were the only three participants on this early morning, self-guided tour. I wish I could say the building engulfed us in hops and aromas from the brewing process, but it didn't. The tour, although quite informative and interesting, wasn't through the actual brewing facility. However, it was a historical building that is considered central to Dublin's and Ireland's heritage. The tour provided an inside look into the origins of Guinness and how it's grown into a global brand.

The experience started in the bottom of the "world's largest pint glass"— the atrium. The atrium extends up through the center of the seven story building. Supposedly, if full, the giant pint glass atrium would hold 14.3 million pints of Guinness.

I was enthralled with the overall design of the building and the typography throughout. Guinness has a long tradition of award-winning advertising and it was clear that the same thought process went into the tour design.

We also learned the proper technique for drinking the stout. We were welcomed into a stark white room bright enough to require sunglasses. The room contained four pillars with plumes of steam billowing out. Each pillar contained the scent from one key ingredient — hops, barley, water and yeast. We were walked step-by-step through the brewing process and then invited to walk into a tasting room with wall-to-wall wood panels and very dim lighting. With our elbows raised Vinnie, dad and I toasted to our first sample, which was two days old. I pretended our plastic glasses "clinked."

The Guinness tour wouldn't be complete without learning how to "craft the perfect pint." With the help of an experienced Guinness Ambassador, we filled our pints to the harp, let the it rest and then topped it off. We're experts now. I'd show you my certificate, but I think it's in Michigan.

Honestly, the best part of the whole tour was the Gravity Bar and it's 360 degree views of Dublin. Cheers.