I was up bright and early for a cooking lesson and demonstration at Ballyknocken Farm & Cooker School. It was WONDERFUL! I learned how to make mince pies and tawny port drinks. My instructor was the fourth generation working the farm and bed and breakfast, and is raising the fifth generation in the home as well. There are great open areas and a building to host traditional Irish events – sheep herding, dancing, wool spinning and, of course, cooking.
I departed Ballyknocken mid-morning for a drive through the coastal villages of Dalkey & Dun Laoghaire. The views of sleepy farms and grazing sheep were very picturesque (even if it was winter and raining). We had lunch at a wonderful riverside restaurant before heading for the Guinness Storehouse and Old Jameson Distillery.
After partaking in my fair share of pints while I have been in Ireland, I was really looking forward to seeing how it all comes together in a perfect pint. When you arrive and drive through the massive gates of the factory you feel like you’re stepping back in time – this year marks 250 years of brewing at St. James Gate for the Guinness factory so you’re thinking old, right? Wrong – the Guinness Storehouse is a modern seven-story visitors’ experience dedicated to the history and making of this famous beer. It was fascinating – how four basic ingredients and one man’s vision created a dynasty. The core of the Guinness Storehouse building is modeled on a giant pint glass, stretching up from reception on the ground floor to the Gravity Bar in the sky. If filled, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints of Guinness! I stopped off at the tasting laboratory to learn the technique on how to pour the perfect pint and then headed to the Gravity Bar for a complimentary pint of Guinness and the 360-degree views of Dublin City and beyond.
Then off to the Old Jameson Distillery which kept more to my vision of old and gave a glimpse back in time as to what it would have been like to distill the whiskey and transport it with horse and buggy. At the end of the tour there is a whiskey tasting and time to shop in their gift shop.
This evening I had a wonderful dinner and took off for a pub crawl with some friends. One of the main things that struck me while traveling around Ireland is how wonderful and welcoming its people are! I never met a stranger and people always asked how my holiday was going and if I was having a nice time – they also wanted to know if everyone was being hospitable as if it was their personal mission to ensure everyone staying here had a wonderful time! The pub crawl was a blast and what I found fascinating was when it was time for the pubs to close the bartender would pull the blinds, let you keep ordering and drinking as long as you were having a good time and not causing any problems and then when the bartender was ready to leave he told you where you should go next and to take your pint with you …
