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Crafty Tours Dublin – A Taste of Dublin's Best Brews
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From €130 per person
Most Dublin pub experiences funnel you into the same overcrowded spots in Temple Bar. Crafty Tours does something different. This 3-hour walking tour covers five carefully chosen pubs - a mix of old-school character and craft bars - with a beer included at each stop, a proper lunch, and local stories throughout.
Your guide is Michael, an Australian who has lived in Dublin for over 25 years and still hasn’t grown tired of the pubs. After decades in corporate life, he switched direction and now runs Crafty Tours to share the side of Dublin he fell in love with. Expect genuine banter, honest recommendations, and a tour that feels like catching up with a mate who actually knows where to go.
Groups are kept to a maximum of 10 guests, which means the whole thing stays personal rather than feeling like a procession through the streets.
1. Tapped Bar - Start with lunch and a Porterhouse beer.
2. O’Neil’s - Over 40 taps. Michael will help you choose.
3. Stag’s Head - A classic spot for a time-honoured stout: Guinness, Murphys, or Beamish.
4. O’Regans - Taste something fresh from Smithfield Brewing.
5. Caribou - Finish with a craft favourite and a round of toasts.
The Stag’s Head is one of those pubs that people genuinely can’t believe exists. Built in 1895, it’s a Victorian gem - stained glass, dark mahogany, a long bar that’s seen more than a century of Dublin life. If you’ve only seen the polished tourist pubs, this is the antidote.
Michael’s 25-plus years in Dublin means his recommendations aren’t based on what’s trending online but on what he’s actually watched develop over time. Dublin’s craft beer scene has changed enormously in the last decade, and he’s watched the whole thing happen from a barstool. That kind of local knowledge is hard to find in a city that’s moving as fast as Dublin is right now.
If you’re curious about Irish stout, the Stag’s Head stop is a good opportunity to ask Michael about the difference between Guinness, Murphys, and Beamish. They’re all dark Irish stouts but they have genuinely distinct characters, and tasting one in the right surroundings with someone who can explain the differences makes a real difference to how you experience it.
Smithfield is a neighbourhood that most visitors don’t make it to on their own, but it’s worth knowing about. It sits just north of the old medieval city and has been gradually finding its identity over the last few years. O’Regans and the Smithfield Brewing connection give you a reason to be in that part of the city.
Arrive a few minutes early at 12:30pm on the day. Michael tends to start promptly, and given the maximum group size is 10, it’s a small enough group that a late arrival will be noticed. Meeting point details come through at booking.