Stepping out of Covent Garden tube station and into the bustling heart of London’s West End, you would think this would be one of the last places to find a £73million Guinness brewery.
I was super excited to go on a tour of the new 54,000 square ft site which opened in December, imagining huge silver brewing tanks pumping out gallons of the black stuff with kegs lined up ready to be poured to thirsty punters. But the flashy new venue wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
Guinness has made a huge comeback. It used to have a reputation as being an “old man’s pint”, but now it’s so popular that punters have been drinking bars dry: owners Diageo have had to quash rumours of shortages numerous times around Christmas.
Now, around 2.2million pints are poured every DAY in the UK – and you can grab one at Guinness’ new microbrewery in central London.
This microbrewery is tiny – it only produces around 500,000 pints a year, compared to three million at the main site in Dublin.
It is the fourth ever Guinness brewery in the world that the public can visit, following the flagship St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin and sites in Chicago and Baltimore in the US. Even King Charles has popped in for a pint.
You can sign up for a 90-minute tour of the brewery – which costs £30 to £40, and is what I’m here to do – or you can skip the tour and head straight to the outdoor bar or one of the two restaurants, which are open to the public.
The first tours go off at 9.30am, if you can stomach a pint that early.
I was lucky to be one of the first to get a sneak peak inside.
But despite the fun quirks including a Traitors’-like tasting round table and an unusual contraption that lets you print a selfie on your foamy pint instead of the usual shamrock, I’m not sure it’s worth your time venturing away from your local.
The Guinness brewery… that doesn’t actually brew Guinness
As I arrive for my 90-minute tour, I’m expecting to step straight into the heart of a bustling brewery.
But instead, I’m standing in a shop with shelves filled with all sorts of Guinness-themed merchandise, from cans of Guinness beef stock gravy and smoky tomato ketchup to Nespresso coffee pods, golf balls and £60 Guinness football shirts.
Before the tour, I’m told visitors are to wear a high-vis vest and safety goggles, so I pop mine on and finally head inside.
The first thing you see inside the microbrewery is a 3D bubble wall. I’m told that 300million bubbles are in every single pint.
Then you step into a large room filled with huge metal cans and pipes. It’s not huge, smaller than a football pitch, but the vast ceilings make it feel vast.
If you’re expecting to see the secrets of making Guinness in action, you’ll be disappointed. I’m shocked to discover that no Guinness is actually brewed on site – that is a job for Dublin.
Instead, a range of lagers and ales are brewed here, which you can try on the tour.
I have to say, I’m confused why I’m touring around a Guinness brewery that doesn’t actually brew Guinness… but it is a lot of fun.
Next is the tasting room, where you can sit around a huge wooden table and taste four samples in large shot type glasses of the freshly brewed lagers, IPA, porters and sours. The price of these samples is included in the tour.
You’ll take a seat next to the other people on your tour – but instead of an explosive banishment, you’ll exchange notes on your drinks.
There’s no Claudia Winkleman either – instead, an expert will give you insight and talk through tasting notes and aromas with you.
The secret to pouring the perfect pint of Guinness
The last 30 minutes of my visit ends in the flashy Bar 232, which is for tour guests only.
Finally, this is where you get a pint of Guinness – but don’t expect someone to pour it for you, you do it yourself.
This is where the tour comes in handy, because you’re taught how to pour the perfect pint.
There’s staff on hand to help you. I’m told to hold my glass at a 45-degree angle to the pump.
You stop pouring once you’re halfway up the harp, and let it rest for around 60 seconds. Then you finish the pint off – and this process creates the iconic creamy, foamy head.
I’ll be sure to carry out this process the next time I crack open a tin the next time I’m pouring one at home.
If you’re lucky enough to live near to a local that knows what it’s doing when serving Guinness, you might find a shamrock artistically inscribed onto the head of your pint.
But here, you can get a selfie of yourself etched onto the top of your pint.
There’s a selfie booth to get your photo and then it’s etched on with the help of an iPad and something called the Stoutie printing machine. The inks used to create the images are made for barley, carrot or beetroot – and create different colours.
Cheesy, yes – but fun for a one off, although drinking my own head isn’t necessarily an experience I’d rush back for.
Just fancy a pint, and not a tour? You’ll have to sit outside
If you don’t fancy a tour and just want a Guinness, there’s a bar you can visit to pop in for a swift one.
There’s also two VIP rooms to open soon if you fancy hosting a private party or a swanky works’ do.
However, there’s a catch – you can only sit outside.
There’s plenty of seating and although it’s cold out, the buildings around you prevent any draft and it was a lovely spot to hang out – even if I was shivering in the cold.
The experience also costs a premium – a pint is £7.20.
Although these are prices you can expect to pay in the heart of London, you can hop to nearby Wetherspoons at Leicester Square and pay £6.74 for a cheaper pint.
The food is expensive as well – there’s a food van selling pies for around £15 a pop.
There’s also two restaurants you can visit located in the microbrewery building – but it’s expensive.
The first is a grill style restaurant, Porter’s House, where a main meal ranges from £17 to £40 for the Beef Ribeye.
The second, Gilroy’s Loft, is a fancier establishment with a focus on fish, especially oysters. Here, half a lobster will set you back £48.
As I sip on my pint, I reflect on the experience. It’s a beautiful building and I enjoyed the tour but I can’t deny I am disappointed that no Guinness is brewed on site. However, for £30, it was still a fun day out.
And even though the Guinness wasn’t actually brewed here, it still’s delicious with that familiar smooth, mantle and roasted taste with notes of coffee and dark chocolate.
Taking a sip, I feel like I’m in Dublin, not London.
