Part 1 of 2-There are 2 sides of this subject, consumer and brewery, both benefit from beer tours. We start with the consumer.
The more you know the more there is to like—touch, feel, taste craft beer tours.
Beer touring is not complicated, yet it can be as inclusive or as superficial as participants want. The purpose of such tours has been useful for team building, family events, reunions, or holiday gatherings amongst friends. The mass-market approaches to brewery tours are usually conducted at the largest brewers such as Molson/Coors. Conversely, craft beer touring experiences are at the grassroots level. Read more and we will try to explain the options within the craft beer touring genre.
Even a full-on experience involving meeting the head brewers, food pairings, or viewing the behind-the-scenes of a full beer-making operation, the small group approach is best. There are individual breweries that see the value of beer tours and offer in-house escorted tours on specific days. Yes, beer touring involves tasting beers, but if tasting is the sole objective, then simply stopping at a brewery and ordering a flight works too.
Anybody who enjoys the experience of craft beer knows that handmade crafted beer is complex. Consumers do not fully understand the complexities of this industry, from economics, ingredients, malting, water chemistry, the hundred varieties of yeasts, and the nature of hops. Thousands of years of history have brought us a unique glass of beer. Craft beer touring can be a real revelation, pointing out the subtilities that impact the art of making beer.
Suppose you want to experience a brewery, understand specific brewing processes, meet beer crafters, and better understand the science of ingredients. In that case, you should be looking for a craft beer tour. Beer tour operators run the gambit of tour offerings, costs, and orientation of the tour (food parings, brewing operations, ingredients/recipes, etc.).
Head in the right direction to get the best beer tour for you or your group.
Finding or arranging a beer tour starts with understanding what you expect. Is it a driving service to take your group to a series of breweries and get flights of their beers or do you want an in-depth experience that includes beer on the brewing floor and getting a sense of the activity?
Here are five factors to consider that will help in deciding what tour will give you the experiences you are seeking:
- Check what the tour includes. For example, some tours provide transportation, meals, and multiple brewery visits, while others might only cover the tasting experience.
- Ask the tour operator what each brewery on the tour offers. Breweries vary by their level of participation. For example, they might provide beer tastings, souvenirs, or educational sessions about the brewing process. Check out the breweries the tour will be visiting. If one motivating factor is to explore new beers and breweries, with a focus on food pairings ask if they involve food trucks, in-house food services, or catering. As an aside, there is a growing interest in food pairings with beer.
- If you are planning to go with a general group, check if the tour requires reservations and if there is a limit on the number of guests on a specific tour.
- A knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide can make a significant difference. Look at their background and get a feel for their approach through their online reviews.
- Event-oriented/sponsored brewery tours, such as new beer releases, exclusive tastings, or behind-the-scenes access can be an option.
Option for a beer tour can be as simple as buying a flight for a private tasting. At the other end of the spectrum is with a expert guide, visiting several breweries, a visit to the brew room, and meeting with the brewmaster.
Too many to count: off-the-shelf tours make it simple.
In online research, beer touring options are available all over the world, from tours at the largest breweries to visiting local craft brewers. Brews Cruise, with tour locations in the U.S., has Las Vegas tour options ranging from a 3.25-hour walking tour, with an expert guide, visiting three breweries, three flights of beer, and a light snack for $65. Another option includes coach transportation to each brewery for $165.
City Brew Tours has been doing beer tours for 15+ years and operates in more than 20 U.S. cities. Like other operators of beer tours, they offer public and private 3.5-hour tours that include transportation between breweries, an expert tour guide, and a light snack. Prices vary with each city.
Having an educated craft beer consumer is a good thing, research says. It builds customer appreciation of quality and value, and it enhances consumer brand loyalty. One of the hallmarks of craft beer is to reinforce the message that craft beer is about the value of quality. People are visual and kinetic learners, participants want to see, touch, and smell brewing in all its glory, experience a pleasant mouthfeel, and interact with other people to fully appreciate a craft beer quality not found in mass-produced beer.
Interaction in a tour is about the brewery and the staff putting their best foot forward and allowing the consumer/visitor to feel they are welcomed and part of the family. Brewery tours are a terrific way to meet fellow beer enthusiasts and create the feel of being part of the craft beer brewery community.
Cheers!