The Final Draft > Bucket List Visit Smithwick's Experience 2026

Why should the Smithwick's Experience be on my 2026 Bucket List?

Kilkenny itself is a destination packed with myth, history, craft, craic, and creativity, and it's always deserving of a spot on anyone's travel bucket list. But if you're visiting the city with limited time, and want to make sure you see Kilkenny's best attractions, then we can certainly recommend adding the Smithwick's Experience to your 2026 Bucket list.

Here's why...

Brewing and backstory

There's history in every nook, cranny and corner of the old St. Francis Abbey site, where Franciscan monks first brewed ale back in the 14th Century. Our guided brewery tour at the Smithwick's Experience tells that story through immersive displays, holographic characters, and interactive exhibits, all of which trace the journey of our red ale from its humble beginnings to where we are today, with a range of expertly crafted ales that are beloved both here in Ireland and abroad.

As you learn how water, barley, hops, and yeast are transformed into the rich, ruby-coloured ale that's become a hallmark of Kilkenny, you'll learn some of the city's history too. Those innovative medieval monks who started it all, John Smithwick's bold vision in the 18th century, the evolution of the city and brewery over the years – each chapter of the story is told with charm, passion, and always a touch of Irish wit.

Dabble with a paddle

Of course, no visit is complete without a taste. At the end of your guided tour, you'll enjoy a freshly poured pint of Smithwick's in the cosy bar, included as part of your tour. But why not take it up a notch and experience a range of our brews? When you book your tickets to the Smithwick's Experience, you can choose to add this as an extra. For €5 extra, you can replace your pint with a paddle of three different flavours: two of our ales and a Kilkenny beer. If it's your first time in Ireland, in Kilkenny, or even just visiting the Smithwick's Experience, you couldn't have chosen a better place to try our famous ale for the first time… right at the source.

Become a Master

You can elevate your experience even further with our premium tour, the Masters of Ale. This tour is perfect for those who want to delve deeper and really dive into the evolution of ale and just how intrinsic the Smithwick's family was to its journey. The Masters of Ale experience is a truly sensorial exploration of the nuances of our ales' ingredients and flavours, and an investigation of how subtle recipe differences create completely distinct ales. You'll get a tasting masterclass of 4 different ales, a pint pouring tutorial, and a personalised engraved glass to keep as a memento of your mastery! This is a 75-minute tour – a little longer than our regular 45-minute tour, but it still gives you plenty of time to explore the rest of your Kilkenny bucket list, even if you're just here for a day.

Easily part of a perfect day

As you've just read, our tours are comprehensive, but quick. Even if you choose to enhance your visit to the brewery with our Masters of Ale Experience, you'll still only be here for perhaps an hour and a half at most. That makes visiting us here on Parliament Street easy to incorporate into a dream day's itinerary spent seeing Kilkenny's best attractions.

We offer a tour every half hour from 11 am through to 5 pm, so no matter what else you want to see in the city, you should have no trouble incorporating your brewery tour, whether at the start of your day or as a post-lunch afternoon or early evening activity.