History and pints on tap at Dublin's Guinness Storehouse

Steel fermentation vessels are viewed from the rooftop bar of the visitor center at the Guinness brewery

Your ticket for that promised pint can be used in one of two places, including the Guinness Academy where you'll be taught how to pour the perfect pint, or at the Gravity Bar, a circular, glass-walled space on the top floor of the Storehouse, one of the highest points in Dublin, with floor-to-ceiling views of the city.

You can also pay extra for the "Connoisseur Experience" which includes a more private tasting session.

The Store house is not only Ireland's top tourist attraction but was recently named "Europe's Leading Attraction" at the World Travel Awards, so expect crowds. Hours are not ideal for business travelers: open daily at 9:30 am, with last admission at 5 pm. Save time and get a 10 percent discount by booking tickets online, which can then be printed out from self-serve kiosks at the entrance. The friendly staff does a good job of moving people through.

But no matter how thick the crowd, no one hurries a pint of Guinness. It takes a recommended 119.5 seconds for the pour and then you wait, patiently, for the foaming beverage to surge and settle into the familiar chiaroscuro of black and white.

As one of the brand's ad campaigns put it: Good things come to those who wait.