Brewery tours of Ireland

Flight of full-sized beers ()

I first encountered Irish beer when I was waiting tables in college at an “Irish” sports bar. I quickly found out that the only thing that made it Irish was serving corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day and the Guinness that we poured from our taps. Nonetheless, I was intrigued.

As the air gets brisk and we ease into the winter months, nothing sounds better than staying indoors and taking a brewery tour (and maybe warming up my insides with a hearty Irish stout).

The Wicklow Breweries

Location: Redcross, Wicklow

History: The brewery dates back to 1978 when Violet and Robert Williams decided to turn their farm into a holiday park. Today, you will not only find a pub and brewery, but also a popular filming location. Productions like “Savage Eye,” “Christmas Perfection” and “Chasing Leprechauns” have filmed here.

Tour Information: Wicklow offers two types of tours, which must be booked at least one day in advance. Book the “Beer and Tour” at wicklowbrewery.ie/wicklow-brewery-tours, or call (+353) (0404) 41661 to book the “Tour with Food and Beer.”

Franciscan Well Brewery

Location: Sunday’s Well, Cork

History: This historic space is surrounded by the walls of an old Franciscan monastery. Legend says that water from the monastery’s well had healing properties and people traveled from all over to drink it. Today, it is home to a brewery, distillery and pizza place.

Tour Information: Book tours online at franwellbar.com/calendar.

The Ultimate Craft Beer Experience | 60-80 Minutes| Thurs-Sun. | 3 p.m. | €15 per person. €20 to add the “pour your own stout” experience

Smithwick’s Experience

Location: Kilkenny, Kilkenny

History: John Smithwick began brewing in Kilkenny in the 1700s. Nine generations of Smithwick men have followed in John’s footsteps.

Tour Information: You can choose from two types of tours. On the first Thursday of the month, they offer sensory-friendly tours. Book all tours online at smithwicksexperience.com/tickets.

Walled City Brewery

Location: Ebrington Square, Derry-Londonderry

History: Walled City has been serving customers since 2015. Today, Walled City hosts a Michelin-starred chef at its restaurant as well as a taproom where you can take a masterclass, attend a Gin or Jazz Festival and so much more. To date, they have brewed over 500 different varieties of beer.

Tour Information: Book tours online at walledcitybrewery.com/tourandtasting.

Sullivan’s Brewing Company

Location: Gardens, Kilkenny

History: Their history dates back to 1702 and includes lost horse bets and fires. Today, they serve award-winning beer along with pizza, nachos and hamburgers.

Tour Information: Tours, known as “Tasting Talks” must be pre-booked online at info@sullivanstaproom.com.

Kinnegar Brewery

Location: Letterkenny, Donegal

History: In 2011, Kinnegar began with four beers. Today, they brew 12 different types along with seasonal specials.

Tour Information: They offer three types of tours. The five-minute intro tour is free and requires no advanced booking. You can book the other two tours online at kinnegarbrewing.ie/tours.

Advanced Tour | 45 minutes | Fridays | 5 p.m. | €10 per person

Deep Dive Tour | 90 Minutes | Fridays | 5 p.m. | €20 per person

Munster Brewery

Location: Youghal, Cork

History: Amidst a recession in 2013, the Hyde brothers decided to open the brewery. It worked out so well for them that they had to move to a bigger place in 2016. Today, they brew three beers and a kombucha.

Tour Information: Tours must be booked in advance; but they are not picky how: call, email, DM on social media, or mail them a letter. Tours are 10 euros per person and are cash only. Learn more at munsterbrewery.com/brewery-tours.

Hope Beer

Location: Kilbarrack, Dublin

History: In 2015, four friends came together to found Hope Beer. Today they brew five beers year-round, two seasonals and several limited edition beers.

Tour Information: Book tours online at hopebeer.ie/brewery-tours-dublin.

Brewery Tour | 90 minutes | Thurs.-Sat. | 5 p.m. (Thurs. and Fri.) 4 p.m. (Sat.) | €20 per person.

Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co.

Location: Killarney, Kerry

History: The founders met each other across the pond in Chicago in 2011. They opened their first brewery in 2015. In 2022, they opened another location, “Ireland’s largest independently owned brewery, distillery, and visitor center.”

Tour Information: Book tours online at killarneybrewingdistilling.com/book-a-tour.

Brewery Tour | Daily | 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. | €24.50 per adult, €13.50 per child. | All ages

Guinness Storehouse

Location: St. James’s Gate, Dublin

History: Of course, we couldn’t feature brewery tours in Ireland without featuring the most famous one. In 1759, Arthur Price, aka Arthur Guinness, had so much faith in his brewing that he signed a 9,000-year lease on St. James Gate Brewery. In 1967, the first Guinness factory outside of Ireland and the U.K. opened in Nigeria. Today, you can drink Guinness in over 150 countries worldwide.

Tour Information: The storehouse offers a variety of tours that you can book in advance at guinness-storehouse.com/en/booking. Once a month, Guinness offers sensory-friendly hours.