Today is going to be a great day! First stop, the Guinness Storehouse and then tonight Goo Goo Dolls live at Vicar Street!
I love trying local beers, cocktails, and wine however, dark beers are my favorite, but I have never been the biggest fan of Guinness. Several friends who have visited Dublin insisted I go to the Guinness factory and I am thrilled I listened! First off Guinness in Ireland is incredible! Second, tours in Europe are more interactive and experiential than in the states.
The tour is self guided and goes into great detail how Guinness beer is made; starting with water, barley, roast malt extract, hops, and finally brewer’s yeast. The museum is beautiful and they do an excellent job of adding in elements related to the area you are walking through. I loved the indoor waterfall!
At the end of your tour you are given a sample of Guinness straight from the Dublin factory! The smoothest Guinness I have ever tasted.
Don’t be sad that you are only given a small sample because after the museum you can head up to the top floor bar and trade in your ticket for a free pint of a Guinness of your choice!! You can also purchase more if you want to stay for more than one pint.
Porters are my all time favorite beer so I was excited to try the Guinness Porter. I wish they sold those in the states. It was fabulous!
Irish music filters through the pub from the stage in the center and Irish dancers are scattered around on platforms surrounding the band. The entire pub is getting into the festivities and this is the most Irish experience I have witnessed. The museum is wonderful but the pub is the best part!
Today is filled with great beer and music, after the Guinness festivities I head to Vicar Street for Goo Goo Dolls opening show of their tour! The strangest thing when entering is that my bag is not checked. I didn’t even think to bring a clear bag and I am grateful that Ireland isn’t as strict as the states. It feels safe and freeing to not have to go through security at a concert.
Vicar Street is a more intimate venue and my front row seat on the balcony offers a great view of the stage. Bonus, the bar and restrooms are right behind me!
The opening act is a local Irish band, Basht. I love discovering new bands and I am thrilled it is a local Irish band pumping us up for Goo Goo Dolls.
Goo Goo Dolls take the stage and they are incredible! After a few songs John Rzenik announces:
“We were a cool indie band in a van till I fucked it all up and wrote this song.”
The opening chords of “Come to Me” begin to play.
I sing and dance along to Iris, Slide, Name, Black Balloon, and many more excellent songs.
Today was magical and I couldn’t ask for a better day filled with great music and excellent beer. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Today’s helpful tips!
Guinness Tour
I visited in June and was able to purchase my ticket an hour before I visited. I purchased the Guinness Storehouse Experience Only for €20 per person, allowing about 90 mins for the tour and then however long you plan on staying at the rooftop bar.
Vicar Street
They won’t let you enter until the doors open. I had a hard time getting Ticketmaster to download my ticket but don’t worry they can look it up at the box office and print you a ticket. I loved this more because now I have a souvenir from the show.
