Magazines » September/October 2008 Issue » A Trip's A-Brewin'
We'd rather not know how some foods and beverages are prepared. Sausage jumps to mind. (Thanks for "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair.) Beer is not one of them. Brewing is a process worthy of close examination and luckily, breweries around the world are more than happy to throw open their doors and indulge our fantasies.
Tours are a staple of modern breweries, as much a celebration of the ancient art as a way for brewmasters to show off their beers, educate their consumers and, hopefully, engender brand loyalty. But all tours are not created equal. Some are aimed at groups of guys, others for the whole family and still more are simply incredible deals. DRAFT searched the globe for the best brewery tours in five different categories. Yes, we even found three romantic ones.
Family-friendly: Lakefront Brewery
Unless used in divorce proceedings, the words "family" and "brewery tour" don't usually go together. This logic doesn't apply at Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewery, which holds a fish fry and polka dance every Friday night in addition to its excellent tour. Chris Ranson, who hires the tour guides -- all of whom are either homebrewers or brewing experts -- describes the festivities as "family-friendly." For those more interested in the beer than the family atmosphere, don't worry, as the hour-long tour "revolves around the brewing process," Ranson says. "Participants get a real good sense of brewing." The brewery features the bottling line from TV's "Laverne & Shirley," so guides and willing tourgoers can perform the pair's signature dance. Lakefront also purchased the original slide that the Milwaukee Brewers mascot slid down after every home run. (OK, so maybe everything doesn't revolve around the brewing process, but trust us, you'll learn a lot.) Lakefront doesn't skimp on the beer front. Ranson says some call the experience "the 'Animal House' of brewery tours," and for good reason: The $6 fee will score you four pints of beer and a coupon for another one at any of five local establishments. You'll get a souvenir pint glass as well. Whether you remember to bring it home is an entirely different issue.
Runners-up
1) Guinness' St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland. In a country where children drink Guinness before they drink water, it's only natural this tour should be a family affair.
2) Great Divide Brewery, Denver, Colo. Nothing brings a family together like a tour of Great Divide's handsome brewery.
Romantic: Stone World Bistro and Gardens
"There are three things to do in San Diego," Ken Wright, the head tour guide at Stone World Bistro and Gardens, says. "Go to Lego Land, go to the Zoo, or take a tour of Stone." While we'd include the beach, Wright doesn't understate the popularity of his brewery's free tours, which draw 20,000 people each year. On Saturdays, the brewery holds six separate tours, each full with the maximum 25 people. "We turn away almost as many people as we take," Wright says. Tour guides are trained to highlight the craft brewing industry as a whole, and people come away from the tour knowing how to make beer. Of course, Stone's brews are the focus, and after the 45-minute trip through the factory, participants receive four samples of its various drafts. The setting of the brewery provides the romance. The stunning Stone restaurant and beer garden is adjacent to the brewery. "You're gonna want to spend a few hours here," Wright says. After seeing its spacious interior and beautiful grounds, we'd agree with the guide. Adirondack chairs, perfect for sipping a Stone IPA with a loved one, sit scattered throughout the premises. A goldfish pond complete with a small waterfall adds to the scene. In the summer, Stone shows movies in the garden. Who needs the silly zoo anyway?
Runners-up
1) Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore. What's the only thing better than a quaint bed and breakfast? One that's attached to a brewery.
2) Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, N.Y. Located in the rolling hills of upstate New York, you'll be tempted to spend as much time walking around this Belgian-style brewery's picturesque grounds as inside sampling its brilliant beers.
For the Guys: Capital Brewery
Brewery tours can be fun with a loved one or a family, but they are best with a close group of drinking buddies. It's the kind of camaraderie that cannot be bought, a bond that should be celebrated with the perfect pint. Capital Brewery, in Middleton, Wisc., provides an opportunity to grab the boys, hop in a car, and hit the hops. The Capital tour is all about beer. "There's not a room in the facility that you won't get a chance to see," Marshall Senfleben, the brewery's beer garden manager, says. "We try to get the group involved with the tour and not just talk at them." The interactivity of the tour is the highlight, as are the brewery's 15 award-winning brews. Its Munich Dark, Special Pilsner, Bavarian Lager and Blonde Doppelbock all won medals at the 2008 North American Brewers Association, but for our money, you can't go wrong with the fantastically named Autumnal Fire, a gold medal-winner at the 2006 World Beer Cup. When the tour's over, retire to the brewery's beer garden, pour yourself six to eight 3-ounce samples with the guys, and start making some new memories.
Runners-up
1) Sixpoint Craft Ales, New York City. At this Brooklyn brewery, it's just you, a couple friends, the brewmaster and literally tons of beer.
2) Achel Brewery, Achel, Belgium. It's a bit of a hike -- OK, more than a bit -- but if you're seeking an international destination, the smallest of Belgium's seven Trappist breweries is the perfect place to vacation with the boys.
Beer for your Buck: Newport Storm
You and three roommates are about to graduate from a small liberal arts college in Maine with no real plans and no concrete job offers. What's a foursome to do? Start a brewery, of course. This is the history of Newport Storm, founded by Colby College graduates Brent Ryan, Derek Luke, Mark Sinclair and Will Rafferty. The brewery, which produced its first batch (Hurricane Amber Ale) on Father's Day in 1999, only holds tours at 6 p.m. on Friday nights, but if you find yourself in Middletown, R.I. (next to Newport) at the appointed time, it's a must-visit. The 45-minute tour is guided by one of the founders, ensuring you'll get the most in-depth, accurate, behind-the-scenes look at this small craft brewery. The full tour and tasting is only $5, but the real highlight of a stop at Newport is the free samples offered to anyone who ventures through the doors, regardless of whether he or she takes a tour. "We take people who would otherwise drink yellow, pissy beer and give them a free chance to try craft beer," Ryan, the company's president, says. "We want to make it easy for people who may not be sure about craft beer to come and try it." Tourists, sailors from the nearby Navy base, college students from schools including Salve Regina and Brown, and locals mingle, sample the variety of beers, and enjoy the perfect price. Sounds like an improvement from the undergraduate experience to us.
Runners-Up
1) Saranac Brewery (F.X. Matt Brewing Co.), Utica, N.Y. This tour's just like a frat party, but with cheaper beer and nicer people.
2) Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville, Wash. A buck for three or four pours and a souvenir glass makes a trip to the Northwest almost worth the airfare.
Mass production: Anheuser-Busch
There's something uniquely American about brewery tours. Sure, breweries hold them throughout the world, but the concepts involved here -- entertainment and indulgence -- are red, white and blue. Tours are available at each of Anheuser-Busch's 12 breweries throughout the United States, but diehards should head to St. Louis, where the company began. The tour of the massive facility includes everything a tour should: a detailed demonstration of the brewing process, knowledgeable guides and beer at the end. You'll see how raw ingredients such as barley malt, hops and water are turned into the brew downed at countless picnics, parties and keggers throughout the country. Stops include the brew house, lager cellars, Bevo packaging facility, finishing cellars (where you'll sample directly from the tank), the Clydesdale stable and the Tack Room. The Anheuser-Busch tour highlights the brewery's ingenuity and immense scale. The massive plant is a demonstration in efficiency and specialization with thousands of moving parts with one singular goal: make beer. If that's not American, we don't know what is.
Runners-up
1) Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Another tour that brilliantly highlights the incredible undertaking of producing beer on a huge scale.
2) Coors Brewery, Golden, Colo. They serve free beer, but watch out for the Silver Bullet train.
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This article originally appeared in the September/October 2008 Issue of DRAFT Magazine
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