Where the Guinness Comes From

"Lefty" at the Guinness Warehouse

Oh no, Dublin, we're not done with you just yet. It's time wrap up the final third part of this series... 'n what better way to do it than backwards? Maestro! Cue the music!

Song of the Day: [Free from Music Ninja]
Bedouin Soundclash - Brutal Hearts (Ft Coeur de Pirate)
"Brutal Hearts (Ft Coeur de Pirate)" by Bedouin Soundclash

Alan de la Graingers

Grainger's Pub: See that softy on the left? That's Alan. Don't believe the smile. Alan will fuck you AND your whole crew up. No, seriously, we love this guy... 'n it's the one time we got him to smile during our stay in Ireland. More on how we got him to smile here in a second. First, we've gotta tell you a bit about the real Alan.

I heard it from a peep who knew a peep that these two American girls wandered their way into Graingers while RyGuy 'n Gaea were soaking up some brews there. When Alan came over to the two girls, they both ordered (and in their own words) "Irish Car Bombs". Without hesitation, Alan firmly said, "No" ...then walked away.

That's right, he straight told 'em "no" and moved on... and with good reason. Let's say that they served a drink called a "9/11" in Iraq, then two Arabs walked into a New York City bar and tried to order one, how do you think that this situation would turn out? In my opinion, Alan was being polite. Later, after the two had left, Alan would be sure to add that the alcohol curdles the cream... 'n that he wouldn't serve it anyway.

And how did we get this Irishman to smile? Music. When I mentioned that I made music and had worked for Apple, the grizzled Alan melted into smiles and stories. As you can see, I even got him to pose with his iPod (please don't kill me Alan). Not only was he a surplus of information on the land and history of Dublin, but his calm strong demeanor kept us coming back day after day. Needless to say, we'll be back again.

The Best Pub in Ireland: Tourists 'n travelers alike who've made their way to Ireland are gonna tell ya that they know "The Best Pub in Ireland". It's a statement on the country's pub culture in general that almost every pub really is the best pub. The next time you hear this, however, you tell that peep that they're a damned liar... that is, unless they said it was Graingers. Otherwise, you'll need to set 'em straight.

Graingers, 51 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
(01)8363249 ~ [Graingers on Yelp]

God Loves Guinness: I didn't even develop a taste for beer until 2005, when I was introduced to stouts and ales. Guinness was one of the first beers that I liked. One of our trips around Dublin was spent wandering the grounds of the Guinness factory and warehouse. Afterall, Dublin's where the Guinness comes from. The photo above was taken just outside the warehouse, where "Lefty" and his buggy were waiting for passengers. The place is huge... like... castle-sized! If we could've afforded a ride with Lefty, we'd've taken it... but we couldn't.

But what we could do was drink plenty of Guinness while in Dublin. Because local manufacturers make it in the larger countries (like the States), the taste really is different. In Dublin, the taste is superfluously superb. The best. While RyGuy would mix it up with a Beamish here 'n there, I didn't even bother straying from the original G. The only thing I would change about our next trip to Ireland would be to visit in the summer, as damn does it ever get cold in the winter! Dublin, we love you. Cheers!

Related Posts:
• Part 1 - The Dark Alleys of Dublin
• Part 2 - The Top Squat in Dublin