Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny: Brewery Tour & Pint
An Hour Inside Ireland's Oldest Brewery
You arrive at your chosen time, join a guided tour through a 13th-century brewery turned experience center, meet holograms and living portraits of the Smithwick family, learn how monks and then the Smithwick family shaped Ireland's oldest beer brand, and finish with a pint poured at the bar. The whole thing takes about an hour, and the building's Victorian stone walls do half the work for you.
1h
Step-by-step itinerary
Visit Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny
- Travel to Kilkenny by car
- Arrive at Smithwick’s Experience
- Join guided tour of brewery
- Explore history with holograms and portraits
- Learn brewing process and ingredients
- Enjoy a pint or soft drink
- Visit the gift shop
The Experience
The smell hits you first — not just beer, but centuries of it, trapped in the stone walls of a Victorian brewery building in the heart of Kilkenny. You're standing in what was once St Francis Abbey, where Franciscan monks started brewing in the 1200s, and the air still carries that weight. The Smithwick's Experience is a guided tour that runs roughly an hour, and it moves you through time in a way that feels less like a museum and more like walking through the brand's actual story. Holograms of John Smithwick and his family appear as you move between rooms, and there's a living portrait — an actor in period dress — who steps out to speak directly to you about the abbey's early days. It's a bit theatrical, but it works.
The tour covers how monks turned this place into a working brewery for over 300 years, then how the Smithwick family arrived in the 18th century and built it into what it is now. You'll walk through the brewing process itself — not just the theory, but the actual textures and smells of the materials that go into the ale. Malt, hops, water — they let you experience them, which sounds simple until you're standing there understanding why each one matters. The whole thing is paced so you're not rushing, but you're also not standing around waiting for the next thing to happen. Tours run regularly throughout the day, so you pick a time that suits you when you book.
At the end, you get a carefully poured pint of Smithwick's at the bar, or a soft drink if that's what you want. It's not a rushed pour either — they take their time with it, which is the whole point. After that, there's a gift shop if you want to take something home, but honestly, the pint is the real souvenir. The building itself is worth the visit even if you're not a beer person — it's genuinely old, genuinely atmospheric, and genuinely in Kilkenny city center, which means you can walk to it from the rest of the town.
What’s included
Your visit includes a guided tour lasting approximately one hour, access to the interactive brewery experience with holograms and living portraits, and one carefully poured pint of Smithwick's or a soft drink at the bar. The tour covers the brewery's history from the 13th century through to today, the brewing process, and the Smithwick family's role in building Ireland's oldest beer brand.
Operated by Smithwick's Experience
Is this one for you?Right for anyone in Kilkenny or visiting from Dublin who wants to understand the beer's story without arranging transport or timing — you pick your slot, show up, and the hour-long tour handles the rest. The Victorian building and the theatrical elements (holograms, living portraits) make it engaging even if beer history isn't your usual thing.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
How long is the Smithwick's Experience tour?
Approximately one hour. Tours run regularly throughout the day, and you choose your time slot when you book.
What's included in the ticket?
A guided tour of the brewery building, holograms and living portraits of the Smithwick family and monks, and one pint of Smithwick's or a soft drink at the bar afterward.
Where is Smithwick's Experience located?
In an old Victorian brewing building in Kilkenny city center, Ireland. It's roughly 1.5 hours from Dublin by car.
Can I visit if I don't drink alcohol?
Yes. You can order a soft drink instead of the pint at the end of the tour. Infants under 6 go free, and the minimum drinking age is 18.
Is the building wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the experience is wheelchair accessible. Strollers and prams are also welcome, and service animals are allowed.
Do I need to book in advance?
It's recommended to pre-book your preferred time slot. Check your voucher for details on how to reserve.
Is there parking or public transport nearby?
Public transportation options are available near the building, and transportation options are wheelchair accessible.
What happens after the tour?
After your pint, you can browse the gift shop for souvenirs before heading out.
Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny: Brewery Tour & Pint
1h · EN
from € 23 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.88942 reviews
