What makes a great brewery tour?

Free beer at the end

 

Free beer during

 

A good guide...knowledgeable, funny. Remember, 50% of the people don't give a shit and just want the free beer. 30% have seen beer brewed 1000 times, and really, all stainless steel tanks look about the same, but free beer, and the other 20% are genuinely interested.

 

I really enjoyed the tour at Lift Bridge.

Beers were sampled throughout - maybe every 5 minutes or so they poured another 2 oz sample - he briefly explained the history of beer(generally), the history of beer in America(prohibition/boom), the history of beer in Stillwater/MN, and the brewing process. Thought it was the right blend of detail, without bogging down with too much info. Also the beer helped.

 

Some great Swag is nice

 

Surly and Lift Bridge did a good job because you get beer during.

 

Granted this is more for the Great Lakes than here but Lakefront out of Milwaukee actually has a pretty engaging and entertaining tour. The original Bernie the Brewer slide, the bottling machine from Laverne & Shirley, and most importantly of all, beer before, during, and after. Only downside, it actually costs to go on the tour but it's still a pretty good deal.

 

Agreed. Lakefront is fun. You pay like $5 for the tour, get 3 pours, and take home a shaker pint. Not bad, and the minimal charge keeps the riff raff out.

 

New Belgium was the best tour I have been on hands down. Great guide, plenty of free beer (including some sours and 1554 from a bottle 20 minutes old). They sell out months in advance, so book early.

 

Call me crazy, but the best brewery tour I've been on was at Anheuser Busch in St Louis. Yea, I know the beer isn't amazing but the history of the brewery and the St Louis area is pretty cool. If you are from StL its kind of a nostalgia thing I guess.

Really though, I don't do any brewery tours anymore. I feel like most craft brewery tours I've been on are pretty much all the same. I'd rather spend an hour in the tasting room trying beers and talking to locals. Granted, I know for the people that aren't quite on our BA level of craziness a tour can be more enjoyable.

 

Especially if you get to see the foeder forest...Definitely my favorite tour.

 

A brochure with a self guided map and world class lambic waiting for you at the end?

New Belgium is also by far the best brewery tour I've been on in the states. Regardless of how you feel about their beer, the culture there is second to none.

 

Free beer & stats. How many 12 oz bottle equivalents are in that huge stainless tank? How many bottles an hour, week, or month can your bottling line produce? How many days would your brewery need to run at full production to match 1 day of ABInbev's nearest brewery? Is there anything in your process that is unique to the area (water source, spent grain disposal, wild yeasts, etc)

 

The brewery must be in Germany.

And have copper kettles and stained glass windows.

 

And even if you're not. A-B is America. Grew to be the most powerful country brewer in the world. Bought out by foreign interests. Power chipped away by splinter groups, at home and abroad...

Yes, Virginia, craft brewing is terrorism.

 

The AB Brewery Tour is great. It's a beautiful brewhouse and historic. I took the tour again this fall for the first time in years and I was disappointed to see the copper brew kettles were gone and replaced with stainless.



I also agree with you about brewery tours. For the most part, I don't need to look at more stainless and most craft breweries really have very little charm (the brewery itself, not the tasting room). An exception is New Glarus. Their new brewery is very nice. Unless the brewery is historic, I'm not all that interested.