Dublin, Ireland

Of the four Dublins we have visited (Ohio, Georgia, California & Ireland), the Irish city is by far the best beer drinking spot among the them.

What does Dublin have to offer? Thousands upon thousands of pubs. You will find these pubs crowded every night, especially in Temple Bar. Moreover, you will find pretty much the same beer selection, thanks to the Guinness monopoly. Despite the crowds and the limited selection of beer, you will also have a great time.

For the rest of Ireland, please check out our Ireland Beer Guide.

So following are a few places to try out.

Guinness/St James Gate Brewery – We love Guinness and highly recommend touring their high tech visitor center if only for the view of Dublin from the Gravity Bar . It’s quite different from the very low tech Guinness Storehouse we first toured and had our first ever pints of Guinness in Ireland.

Dublin Brewing Company [CLOSED]- Located in Smithfield around the corner from the Jameson Distillery, Dublin Brewing is the only craft brewery left in Dublin since the Porterhouse moved brewing outside the city and MESSrs Maguire apparently has discountinued brewing. We visited in the late 90s when you could find their beer all over Dublin but that is not true anymore. We will take a tour the next time we are in Dublin to give an update.

The Porterhouse – Located in Temple Bar, the Porterhouse is our favorite place to drink beer in Dublin not only for their quality brews but also because one of our favorite trad bands, Sliotar , plays there on the weekend. They have 3 different stouts amongst the 10 beers they they regularly have on draught. Located at the end of Temple Bar at the intersection with Parliment Street. There are other locations in Dublin now as well.

MESSrs Maguire – Overlooking O’Connell Bridge and next to the "Heinekin Bar", MESSrs Maguire's is a brewpub in transition it seems. The first few times we were there, they only served their brews. They were good. A few years ago, they started to serve the typical beer brands you find in the other Dublin pubs as well. On our last visit, in December 2006, they were "out" of their beers. And a friend who tried them recently said they were shite. As a regular crowded pub without their own good beer, MESSrs Maguire is just another crowded Dublin pub.

Our first visit was within weeks of their opening and the pub was sparsely crowded. The beer was great and so was the food!  Mind you, this is before healthy fresh cuisine was to be found in Ireland and most pubs served “yummy” Irish food, where mayonaise was the main ingredient.  Anyways, because they had a great cheese plate and a real salad with real greens, we went back several times during our trip.

Davy Byrnes - Just off of Grafton Street, Davy Byrnes is one of the few pubs in Dublin that pours Beamish. A great spot for a bit of lunch and to get away from the masses on Grafton Street. Also, the pub is part of the Literary Pub Crawl. Located on Duke Street.

Dawson Lounge - Don't bring a ton of your friends to this pub because it is Dublin's smallest with a capacity of 24 people . A nice place to enjoy a pint. Located at the base of Dawson Street where it intersects with St. Stephens Green.

The Brazen Head - Founded in 1198, the Brazen Head is Ireland's oldest pub or at least that is what they claim. Cozy, with a number of rooms, the Brazen Head is a great place to enjoy a few pints in front of a turf fire. Located off Merchants Quay on Bridge Street.

Bull and Castle - Don't be afraid of the 'gastropub' label... It's what we have been waiting for in Ireland... a pub that serves Irish craft beer. A must stop in any beer visit to Dublin. The Bull and Castle also has a impressive selection of continental beers too. It's located across from Christchurch.

Also, we recommend venturing outside of central Dublin away from the tourists and stag/hen parties to find the real Dublin pub experience. We have found some great pubs but they are our secret.

Last Revised - February 2008