Guinness

The highlight of the day today was a visit to the Guinness factory here in Dublin.  It was a bit different than going through the AB brewery but still cool.  You don't get to see any actual brewing going on even though it is going on right next door.  The say its the biggest tourist attraction in Ireland.

It was very well done and could tell they spent a lot of $$$ on the building and the tour.  7 stories of Guinnessness.

They have been brewing here for 250 years now.  There is a story that what makes the Guinness taste so good is the water that runs through the city in the river Liffey, but the source is in the mountains above the city.  The original Guinness signed a 9000 year lease from the city for the land and access to the water.  At $45 a year I think the city got taken to the cleaners on that one. 

Kristen was a fan of her first sample but when she ended up with a pint in front of her she was singing a different tune.  Turns out that they brew an extra stout for foreign export to the carribean that doesn't make it to the US.  I had to try one, but there wasn't much of a difference at all.

The round bar at the top of the building gave a awesome view of the city.  They taught a class on the perfect pour....bad news to everyone that I have ever seen get  a Guinness, your bartender did it wrong!  After the first one I am sure nobody notices though.  

There was a huge Catholic thing in town at the time, and we saw a number of priests and nuns on the tour.  Did a double take for sure.  Everything in moderation I guess.