Dublin’s historic Guinness factory is one of Dublin’s most visited tourist attractions.
Guinness is probably one of the most famous and beloved dark beers in the world, with an unmistakable appearance and flavor.
In 1759 Arthur Guinness took over a property in the heart of Dublin, at St. James’s Gate.
The building, now in a state of disrepair, was worth so little that Arthur managed to get it for £45 a year, signing a 9000-year contract. Since then and for the last three hundred years, Guinness has been produced here.
With the turn of the century, the popularity of Guinness grew exponentially, creating an absolutely unique style, thanks to advertising campaigns.
Everyone recognizes Guinness beer thanks to its dark, almost black color, topped by the unmistakable white, compact and creamy foam, which makes it unique in the world.
The taste of Guinness is also easily recognizable: bitter, with a toasted aftertaste, with notes of coffee and cocoa.
This winning combination of taste and body derives from its absolutely original production: Irish Guinness is made with water from the Lady’s Well spring, in the Wicklow Mountains area, very pure and qualitatively superior to Guinness beer produced in other countries of the world with less crystalline local waters.
The other ingredients are hops, malted barley, roasted unmalted barley, and yeast.
The characteristic black color and bitter taste come from the roasting of barley, a process born by mistake between 1600 and 1700.
On the other hand, to obtain the characteristic compact and creamy foam, the secret is the tapping with the introduction of CO2 and nitrogen: unlike tapping with the use of carbon dioxide, the nitrogen is not dispersed in the liquid, thus ensuring that the Guinness remains “still”, with few bubbles and creating the characteristic compact foam.
The rules for tapping a perfect Guinness are few but strict:
- The glass should be tilted at 45 degrees and 3/4 full.
- It should be left to rest for a couple of minutes
- At the end of the rest, the glass should be filled in an upright position.
Over the years, the production of Guinness beer has expanded with numerous variations.
- Guinness Draught (4.2th) The classic and timeless Guinness on tap. The flavor is dominated by a strong hint of roasted with notes of coffee and cocoa.
- Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (7.5th) It is the version offered outside the Irish territory with a different alcohol content depending on the place.
On the seventh and last floor of the factory is the Gravity Pub from where you can admire, while drinking a Guinness, of course, the 360° panorama of Dublin.
