Guinness Guinness Guinness

On the second day of the trip the class got an awesome experience. One of the "cultural experiences" built into the trip was a tour of the Guinness factory. It is virtually impossible to walk around any Irish town or city and not see a sign for Guinness. Around the country it is the most popular beer and the country can't get enough of it. Guinness is more then just a beer, it is a symbol of the country. Its a traditional Irish drink  that stays close to its roots. One clear cut example of this is the symbol Guinness put on all of their products. They use the irish harp to signify the drink. The harp has been a symbol for Ireland for centuries and Guinness adopted it as well to make it a symbol for them. Guinness is still brewed locally in Dublin and the factory is one of the cities biggest tourist attractions. Not only does it make the beer but it also serves as a historical museum and explains how the factory started out and how it used to run. They take you step by step throughout the process of how it is all made and what goes in to every batch thats created. You can't walk into a bar that doesn't serve Guinness. It has become an icon for the country since its creation in 1759. Since then, it has been heavily advertised in every way possible whether it be through merchandise, billboards, or sports. Sports is a very big part of the Guinness tradition. Over the years Guinness has been one of the biggest hosts and sponsors for various sporting events around the world. Its amazing how big of an impact an alcoholic beverage could have on a society and culture.