Happy birthday, brew you: Guinness Storehouse toasts 15th anniversary
PUBLISHED02/12/2015 | 12:18
4Happy birthday, brew you – the Guinness Storehouse toasts its 15th anniversary in the capital today.
The former fermentation plant famously underwent a massive €42 million facelift in 2000.
A decade and a half on, the St James’s Gate attraction is expected to welcome its 14th million visitor this year.
Celebrating the occasion, Guinness Storehouse Managing Director Paul Carty told Independent.ie: “When we first opened, our target was to welcome one million visitors. I saw that as very far off in the distance and stretching things to say the least.
“Fast forward 15 years and we are on track to welcome a record 1.4 million visitors this year, totalling over 14 million since opening.”
Former US President Bill Clinton, Tom Cruise and Ellen DeGeneres are just some of the VIPs who’ve visited the home of the black stuff over the years.
And it’s thought that half of all holidaymakers to Dublin splash out on seeing inside the Storehouse too – with a fifth tasting their first pint there.
Mr Carty added:
“Our first 15 years have been truly amazing with many highlights but winning the title of Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards in September is a particularly special one. We have invested continually in our offering to ensure visitors have an unforgettable experience at the ‘Home of Guinness’ and we are excited about the future”.
Visiting the Gravity Bar in 2011, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip memorably learned how to pull the perfect pint – but didn’t touch a drop.
Vegans, on the other hand, will soon be able to enjoy the tipple after the iconic brand announced plans to remove fish guts from the brewing process next year.
Guinness Storehouse in Numbers:
· 7: Number of floors in the pint glass-shaped building at St James’s Gate.
· 35: Percentage of visitors who learn how to pull a pint at the Guinness Academy.
· 7,500: Linear metres of paper records stored in the Guinness Archive.
· 20,000: Number of portions of Beef & Guinness Stew served in its restaurants each year.
· 14.3 million: Number of pints it would take to fill the Dublin landmark.
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