Tag Archives: Martin’s Tavern

Guinness Storehouse ~Day Three

Looking back at our travel days makes me marvel at how much we packed into each day. Our last event on Sunday the 17th of September was our tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Our Uber driver dropped us off at St. James Gate for our tour slot of 4:45. It was still raining. There is so much history that surrounds Guinness in Dublin that we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more.

We bought the basic experience tickets which was a self-guided tour. There are 6 floors to the Storehouse Experience.

Escalators, elevators, ramps and stairs took you around and upward to all the displays and history.

I will share some history with you and if you’d like to read more follow this link.

Arthur Guinness was born in 1725 near Celbridge, County Kildare. His father, Richard Guinness, was land steward for the Rev. Dr. Arthur Price, Archbishop of Cashel.

Arthur was named for the archbishop and was handsomely remembered in his will. Arthur used his £100 bequest to establish a small local brewery in nearby Leixlip with his brother. Arthur set his sights on the capital city of Dublin four years later, signing the now-legendary lease for a former brewery at St. James’s Gate.

Arthur Guinness was just 34 when he signed the iconic 9,000-year Guinness lease, on a then-disused brewery site on 31 December 1759 for an annual rent of £45. It was here on this four-acre site where Arthur would hone his craft and build the global brand that Guinness is today.

Josh took in the stories and history surrounding the handmade casks.

The sixth floor offers panoramic views of the city of Dublin and it has the circular bar with lots of seating. You can hand in your ticket stub for a pint of Guinness and watch the classic Guinness pour.

If you aren’t a beer drinker there are other options for your ticket on the 5th floor at Arthur’s! This is where we camped out for a while enjoying our drinks and having some good food, too.

Sláinte!

And that was the end to our Sunday. It was pouring as we tried to leave the Storehouse. Josh ordered our last Uber of the day and it was back to our hotel to pack up and turn in. Monday we’d be traveling from Dublin across to England to continue our adventures.

This Guinness with the shamrock was served at Martin’s Tavern in Washington D.C. several years ago when I traveled along with Greg for a medical conference.

By Gum by Golly…

*** If you are looking for my cookbook GIVEAWAY click here.

 

We are on the letter G! It’s time to share your choices and link up with our hostess and teacher Jenny for Alphabe-Thursday.

My choice for G is a Guinness in Georgetown.

A really good bartender is hard to find. I think we discovered the best bartender East of the Cascades on our recent trip to Washington D.C. There are plenty that will mix up a drink for you or pour you a beer and plop it in front of you with hardly a smile but then there’s the rare one who has panache. Someone who adds style and good conversation to his art.

 

We were on the Tour Trolley going through Georgetown when our guide directed our attention to Martin’s Tavern. We knew we’d be jumping off the trolley and strolling back to the Tavern because of it’s historical significance or because we really wanted a beer, you decide. We sat at the bar instead of a table and we were so pleased we did.

 

As luck would have it we got to meet Damon the bartender this afternoon.

 

Not only was he a great bartender but he was a good sport and posed for a photo for my blog.

 

I ordered a Guinness and look what I got…A Guinness, but not just any Guinness on draught. Take a closer look y’all and check out the head on my Guinness. Do you see what I see? Do you see the genuine Irish Shamrock?

 

I was so thirsty I almost missed it but Dear pointed it out to me and then I didn’t want to drink it but I just wanted to enjoy it. Did I tell you I’m very visual? This was the very first time a Guinness was served to me with the bartender taking the added time to design a Shamrock on it’s head.

Thank you Damon! We are sincere in saying you are one of the best bartenders we have ever chatted with. You made our Georgetown experience at Billy Martin’s very memorable! You really impressed Dear because of your classic knowledge of spirits and beer and especially the fact that you know what a Martini isn’t.

Now for you history buffs who might not enjoy booze, here’s some interesting history associated with Billy Martin’s!

There are several tables at Martin’s that boast being a president’s favorite, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.

Booth #1 “The Rumble Seat”;

After mass at Holy Trinity in the 1950’s JFK sat in this booth reading the paper and having brunch on Sundays.

Booth #3 – The Kennedy Booth – a.k.a. The Proposal Booth

JFK and Jackie frequently dined in Booth #3. On Wednesday, June 24, 1953, having returned from covering the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth for the Washington Times Herald, Jacqueline Bouvier accepted John Kennedy’s proposal of marriage. The next day customers and staff excitedly talked about “that nice young Kennedy senator” proposing to his girlfriend the night before in their booth. Since that day, Booth #3 is known as “the proposal booth”.

Booth #6 – The Truman Booth

Harry Truman, his wife Bess and daughter Margaret sat here for many dinners when Margaret was a student at George Washington University in 1942 and he was a senator from Missouri. Margaret Truman wrote 14 mystery novels set in Washington D.C. and many of her novels included Martin’s Tavern. Murder in Georgetown, pg. 58 -“She seemed anxious to comply and they arranged to meet at seven at Martin’s Tavern.”

 

If you find yourself in Georgetown make sure and visit Billy Martin’s Tavern and say hi to Damon for us!

Here’s another G you shouldn’t miss…I’m having a Giveaway on my blog. Enter to win our MGCC cookbook with all the girls signatures!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.