On the occasion of the release of the Netflix series House of Guinness, follow in the footsteps of a dynasty that shaped Ireland through its beer, its landscapes and its legends.
At the gates of Dublin, a signature for eternity
A light fog envelops the Liberties, Dublin's old working-class neighborhood. At the bend of a cobblestone street, the massive silhouette of the St. James's Gate brewery rises, flanked by its imposing black door. It was here, on December 31, 1759, that Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease. An almost insane gesture, but one that would inscribe his name in the country's history.
To get to the true origins, you have to leave the capital and drive west, through the roads of County KildareIn Celbridge, in an archbishop's vaulted cellar, Arthur learned to brew before opening his first brewery in Leixlip. Today, a 16-kilometer trail connects these founding sites. A bucolic hike between villages, old stones, and forgotten churches, it invites travelers to walk in the footsteps of the father of Irish stout.
When Ireland invented a beer
Long before Guinness, Ireland was brewing its history. Medieval monks brewed barley and honey beers in their remote monasteries. In the 17th century, in smoky taverns, beer gradually supplanted cider and ale. But it was in the 18th century, with the arrival of English porters, that the island changed course. Arthur Guinness seized on this trend, added his own twist, and created a dense, dark, and smooth beer. A drink that would become more than just a beverage: a liquid identity, a national pride.
Beer, the cement of social life
In Ireland, beer is never drunk alone. In pubs with wood-lined walls, it punctuates conversations, punctuates laughter, and accompanies traditional songs. We order "a pint" as we pronounce a familiar word, a gesture that brings people together. In Dublin, on a rugby night, each glass raised above heads forms a silent chorus of belonging. Beer is everywhere: in celebrations, in mourning, in unexpected encounters at the bar. It is the soul of pubs, those social temples that make the heart of the country beat.
When you think of Guinness, it is of course the Draught that comes to mind: the black pint with the creamy neck, served since 1959 thanks to the invention of the nitrogen system, a true icon of Irish pubs. But the Guinness universe doesn't stop there. The brewery remains true to its roots with the Guinness Original, drier and more bitter, close to 18th century recipes, and with the Foreign Extra Stout, powerful and hoppy, created to withstand long sea voyages and still popular in Africa and the Caribbean.
More confidential, the West Indies Porter is inspired by a recipe from 1801, rich and fruity, while the Guinness Antwerp, relaunched in a special edition, seduces with its notes of dark chocolate and candied fruit. The house also does not hesitate to innovate, with the Nitro IPA, an astonishing encounter between American hops and creamy nitrogen foam, or even the Guinness 0.0, alcohol-free version launched recently.
Together, these beers tell the story of a brand capable of honoring its tradition while experimenting with new brewing territories.
Dublin, the sparkling capital
Enter the Guinness Storehouse, is to enter a veritable cathedral of malt. As you walk through the floors, visitors discover the secrets of yeast, the roasted aromas of barley, and the advertising campaigns that went around the world. At the top, the Gravity Bar offers a panoramic view of Dublin: the brick rooftops, the spire of St. Patrick's, the green hills in the distance. With a pint in hand, you feel as if you're looking at the city as Arthur Guinness himself would have dreamed it.
For the curious, theOpen Gate Brewery plays the role of creative laboratory, offering ephemeral recipes, while the distillery Roe & Co., located in the former Guinness power station, invites you to explore the other great Irish passion: whiskey.
In the footsteps of the Guinness family
The influence of the Guinness family can be seen in the stones of Dublin. They financed the restoration of the St. Patrick's Cathedral, saving its imposing Gothic nave. They brought the Marsh's Library, the oldest public library in the country, where Bram Stoker and James Joyce came to draw their inspiration.
But their most lasting legacy undoubtedly remains the green spaces they offered to the city. St. Stephen's Green, in the heart of the center, is today a refuge for Dubliners who come to stroll there at lunchtime. More discreet, the Iveagh Garden is a hidden gem where you can get lost among fountains and boxwood labyrinths.
Castles and a lake that looks like a pint
Outside the capital, the Guinness trail leads to the Kerry and Muckross House, an elegant Victorian residence. Further north, in Connemara, the sumptuous Ashford Castle overlooks Lough Corrib. Transformed into a luxury hotel, it combines heritage and hospitality in a magnificent setting of forests and lakes.
But it is in the Wicklow Mountains that nature pays the most unusual tribute: the Lough TaySeen from above, this dark lake bordered by a pale sandy beach resembles a giant pint of Guinness, as if the earth itself had been inspired by the Dublin brewery.
A journey to savor
Guinness is much more than a beer. It's a key to understanding Ireland: its landscapes, its traditions, its sense of hospitality. A journey in its footsteps leads from the hustle and bustle of Dublin pubs to the quiet roads of Kildare, from gardens open to city dwellers to lakes hidden in the mountains.
With the series House of Guinness, the world will rediscover this Irish saga. But nothing replaces the experience of a trip: sitting in a Temple Bar pub, clinking glasses with strangers, listening to a fiddle tune, and raising your pint. Slowly, with wonder.
Ema Lynnx
Pictures: © tourism Ireland
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