Trip Planner:   Europe  /  Ireland  /  Province of Leinster  /  County Kilkenny  /  Kilkenny  /  Smithwick's Experience

Smithwick's Experience, Kilkenny

4.5
Brewery · Food & Drink
Create an itinerary including Smithwick's Experience
Visit Ireland's oldest operating brewery on Smithwick's Experience. John Smithwick founded the company in 1710. He originally brewed the beer in St. Francis Abbey Brewery. As you tour the facilities, learn about Ireland's history of brewing and see where Smithwick's beer is made. On the same site, visit St. Francis Abbey, the 13th-century structure where monks brewed ale as far back as the 1300s. When you finish touring, you'll have a chance to taste Smithwick's red ale-style beer, originally brewed for the first Kilkenny Beer Festival. Put Smithwick's Experience and other Kilkenny attractions into our Kilkenny trip app, and watch your holiday take shape.
Improve this listing »
Create a full itinerary - for free!

Smithwick's Experience reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
1,912 reviews
Google
4.6
TripAdvisor
  • Tour the brewery- or where the brewery used to be- learn about the history and the process- sample a pint or a flight at the end 
    Tour the brewery- or where the brewery used to be- learn about the history and the process- sample a pint or a flight at the end  more »
  • If you are in Ireland (anywhere, not just Kilkenny) this in a must see! We have visited various breweries all over Europe (including the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin) and this is simply the best... 
    If you are in Ireland (anywhere, not just Kilkenny) this in a must see! We have visited various breweries all over Europe (including the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin) and this is simply the best...  more »
  • Fun and informative tour. Great tour guide kept it interesting. Provided background on ale and the Smithwicks brand. Upgraded to the sample paddle. Enjoyed all 3 varieties. 
    Fun and informative tour. Great tour guide kept it interesting. Provided background on ale and the Smithwicks brand. Upgraded to the sample paddle. Enjoyed all 3 varieties.  more »
Google
  • Great tour, fun nosing and tasting all the ingredients, absolute gem of a guide, Katie is indeed a cutie! Keep her going 😃. Superb ales, tried the red ale, pale ale and kilkennies (red ale with nitrogen). Had very good fun, avsolutely worth the visit and detour if you hadn't planned it.
  • Awesome tour! Our tour guide, Darren, was full of information and answered all of our questions. He stayed around for the tasting and answered more questions. Highly recommend this tour!
  • The place is beautifully refurbished and transformed to an "experience" compare to the past fully functional brewery. The venue itself is very beautiful but a bit too much of technology involved. It loses the sense of the real in some points. It was Christmas Eve when we visited and you could say that our tour guide would rather be anywhere else that going around with tourists. Though, that made him to be honest and cut all the unnecessary marketing extras and be to the point. Very kindly and friendly answering anything he could and giving us a very authentic experience of the Irish hospitality without the cookie cutter corporate experience we had in Guinness factory in Dublin (same company group). Of course they beer was amazing but I would stick with the ale, the rest wasn't something special to make me order them again.
  • Very funny and informative tour! The place is beautifully designed, you can try and taste different things. It's worth every Euro.
  • We made a last minute decision to take the tour while we were in Kilkenny at the end of July. We waited about 20 minutes until the next tour started. The Experience had just re-opened a couple weeks earlier and it had a fresh and modern feel. Our tour guide Megan was full of energy and brought the tour to life, even continuing to chat with us while we enjoyed some pints afterwards. A shout out to the staff in the gift shop as well for being lots of fun.

Plan your trip to Kilkenny

  • Get a personalized trip
    A full day by day itinerary based on your preferences
  • Customize it
    Refine your trip. We'll find the
    best routes and schedules
  • Book it
    Choose from the best hotels and activities. Up to 50% off
  • Manage it
    Everything in one place. Everyone on the same page.