This post may contain affiliate links wherein I earn a small commission if you purchase or subscribe to a product from one of my links (at no extra cost to you!). Read my full Privacy Policy here.
As the home of Guinness, Ireland’s world-renowned beer, Dublin earns its right to be deemed a destination city for beer enthusiasts. A visit to Dublin for any lover of beer is not complete without a freshly poured pint and a tour of the home of Guinness itself at the Storehouse!
The Dublin beer scene is also growing beyond the famous creamy Irish black stuff. Craft breweries and beer bars have popped up around the city, providing great alternatives to those who are interested in more than drinking stout.
What’s more, you can even join group tours in Dublin to experience pub crawls – often with themes like literature or music in mind. There are so many different ways to experience Dublin’s beer culture!
Best Beer Experiences in Dublin
From sipping pints of Ireland’s famous stout in a lively pub, to sampling a flight of locally-made Irish craft beer, here are some of the best ways to enjoy Dublin as a beer lover.
1. Visit a Pub (any pub!)
Ireland is known for having great pubs and in Dublin, you can practically find one on every corner. Heck, Dublin is even home to the oldest pub in Ireland! Visiting pubs is my absolute favorite thing to do in the British Isles – Ireland included.
Roll up to the bar and order a cold pint of Guinness (or whatever your beer of choice is) and just enjoy the atmosphere. Many pubs have lively trad music going at any given time with live bands, or they might be showing a rugby match on T.V. Just kick back and enjoy!
The Temple Bar is the most famous pub in Dublin but it can get very crowded and you’ll pay a premium for beers. We enjoyed our visits to pubs in quieter neighborhoods, like the The Landmark and The Fourth Corner.
I can’t tell you what the best pub in Dublin is (I’m going to need a few more visits for that!), but I can tell you that you won’t be disappointed ducking into almost any pub in Dublin.
2. Take the Guinness Storehouse Tour
Website | St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H, Ireland
A visit to the Guinness Storehouse is an absolute must-do activity when in Dublin – even if you aren’t a big beer drinker! The experience is self-guided through seven floors of interactive exhibits where you can learn about how Guinness is made and soak in heaps of information on the history.
There’s also a tasting room, and several add-on options are available like the Stoutie, which is a pint of Guinness with your photo printed on it. We got the Stoutie and I have no regrets for paying extra for it! The Guinness Academy is another option, where you can learn to pour the perfect pint of Guinness (and get a cheeky souvenir certificate).
The Storehouse experience culminates at the top floor in The Gravity Bar, along with a pint of freshly-poured Guinness. It’s a great spot to end the tour while taking in 360-degree views of Dublin City.
Book a standard Guinness Storehouse tour with Viator or direct if you’re interested in the Stoutie or Guinness Academy add-ons.
3. Visit the Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Website | 53 James St, St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland
Not too far from the Storehouse is the Guinness Open Gate Brewery. Here, the makers of Guinness are experimenting with other beer styles. This is the one place in the city where you can taste their rotating unique creations!
They also have a pub-style food menu and I highly recommend trying the panna cotta with flavors of Guinness, vanilla, and caramel.
4. Trek to BrewDog Outpost
Website | Three Locks Square, 4, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 E5R7, Ireland
If you want a change of pace from drinking Guinness, head out to the BrewDog Outpost in the Docklands neighborhood! BrewDog is one of my favorite international beer companies. They have really good beer and good vibes in the taprooms.
The Outpost building itself is really neat and it’s located right on the water. It is quite a trek on foot but the location is definitely worth the effort.
BrewDog does serve a full pub-style menu as well. What pairs better with a flight of beers than hearty food like pizza, burgers, and wings?!
5. Cozy Up at Fidelity Bar
Website | 79 Queen St., Smithfield, Dublin D07 DW3R
Fidelity Bar in the Smithfield neighborhood of Dublin is my favorite craft beer find in the city! This beautifully-designed, modern bar is a collab between two Dublin business owners of The Big Romance and Whiplash Beer.
Most of the beer on tap here is from locally-made Whiplash, along with several other guest taps. Their beer is delicious, unique, and suitable for us Americans who love the strong and hoppy beers.
Fidelity Bar has also just opened up an extended space called Fidelity Studio, partnering with the creators of Michelin-recommended Big Fan and their sister restaurant, Sister7. Big Fan is one of my must-try Dublin foodie spots, and they’ll be serving up delicious Asian-inspired bao buns and dumplings!
Some other modern spots I’d like to visit serving craft beer are The Big Romance (from the same owners of Fidelity) Against the Grain (by Galway Bay Brewery), and Bonobo.
6. Taste Jack Smyth Beer at Gallagher’s
Website | 20-21, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 ET66, Ireland
Gallagher’s Boxty House has an offshoot venture brewing their own beer under the label Jack Smyth. Order up a flight dubbed the Jack Smyth Experience to taste all four flagship beers for €15! This includes their stout, Irish red ale, IPA and lager.
And between 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., they offer a Beer & Boxty Special for €25. We took advantage of the special and I highly recommend pairing your beer with a Gaelic or Spice Bag Boxty.
The beer here overall isn’t my personal favorite style of beer, but I did enjoy their special session ale brewed with orange. Everyone has different tastes in beer though, which is why I still recommend giving this a try.
7. Go on a Pub Crawl Tour
Another fun way to explore Dublin’s beer scene is to take a guided tour. I haven’t personally done these myself but they do sound fun!
Here are some unique beer/pub crawl tours offered in Dublin:
- Traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl: A pub crawl built with music lovers in mind, led by actual musicians who play for you along the way.
- Dublin Literary Pub Crawl: Lovers of literature will be entertained and regaled of stories about popular Irish authors like James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats.
- Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Pub Tour: For those who want to experience something a bit outside of Dublin City, this small group tour takes you up to pubs in the Wicklow Mountains. This is a full-day tour exploring pubs, food, and traditional Irish music.
8. Taste Conor McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout
Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor splashed onto the whiskey scene with his Proper Twelve and now he’s brewing a creamy Irish stout that rivals a pint of Ireland’s most famous beer. Grab a pint of Forged Irish Stout at a local pub or visit his Black Forge Inn in the Dublin Twelve neighborhood, where McGregor grew up.
Dare I say it’s even better than Guinness? You’ll have to let me know what you think if you try it!
9. Try Craft Beer at Liquor Stores
Lastly, a great way to try a variety of Irish craft beers is to visit spots like Molloy’s or Craft Central. Look for Dublin or Ireland-brewed craft beer in cans to enjoy back in your hotel room or to take on an Irish road trip!
Wicklow Wolf is a popular brand and I highly recommend trying any beer from Whiplash Brewing.
I hope this Dublin Beer Guide helps steer you in the right direction for the best beer experiences in Dublin! If you’ve been to Dublin before, is there any beer experience you think we should add to this list?
Leave a Reply