Explore 300 Years of Brewing History on the Masters of Ale Experience

The Final Draft > Explore 300 Years of Brewing History on the Masters of Ale Experience

Explore 300 Years of Brewing History on the Masters of Ale Experience

Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny’s brand-new tour will bring visitors on an unforgettable journey through brewing history. Featuring immersive storytelling, a sensory-led tasting experience and a hands-on pint pouring tutorial, the Masters of Ale tour will awaken the senses and bring past and present brewing traditions back to life in each sip of Ireland’s beloved ale.

As the days grow longer and the summer season sets upon us, Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny is inviting visitors back in time on a voyage of discovery. The new Masters of Ale tour will chart the evolution of Smithwick’s and hold a microscope up to the ingredients that make it so indescribably delicious. This premium tour will run every Friday and Saturday evening as the last tour of the day, allowing visitors maximum time to enjoy all of the sensory touchpoints the experience has to offer. After being trialled through the winter months with phenomenal success, the tour is now ready to be enjoyed by everyone.

For those looking for a more immersive, more in-depth, more expansive look at the brewing tradition that has produced one of Ireland’s most popular ales, the Masters of Ale tour is the perfect choice. After a welcome refreshment on arrival, the premium experience guides visitors back in time to the 13th century through the earliest origins of brewing, tracing its roots back to monastic settlements and the local wells where they sourced water ideal for brewing. After gaining this valuable insight into the past, visitors will be whisked into the intriguing story of the Smithwick’s family and their integral role in the evolution of Irish ale as we know it today. This will make the following interactive part of the tour all the more pertinent as visitors embark on a sensorial masterclass, where they’re shown how to isolate the senses and discover the raw ingredients that make up different varieties of ale. Adding each visitor’s repertoire of knowledge, the tour will finish with a hands-on tutorial on how to pour the perfect pint of Smithwick’s. At the end, everyone will come away with a personalised, engraved glass as a reminder of their experience and something to keep for years to come.

Speaking about the launch of the experience, Ignacio Peregrina - Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny Manager - said: “Masters of Ale allows us to satisfy the thirst of those visitors looking for a more immersive and experiential beer experience and hear the story behind one of Ireland's oldest and most popular ale. The Masters of Ale tour is an absolute must for the culturally curious and beer enthusiasts. The visitors from Ireland and all over the world who’ve trialled the tour have been really impressed and we’re very excited about it.”

Taking place usually on Friday and Saturday evenings and will be extended to Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in July and in August, the Masters of Ale tour is an ideal way to ring in the weekend. Afterwards, feel free to stay for a drink in our lively Barrel Yard and enjoy the Barrel Yard Sessions featuring captivating live music and delicious food which takes place every weekend during the summer months until September 2024.