Foaming at the mouth for a nice cold beer? Who isn’t? What better place to quench your thirst then at your local brewery. Many breweries have free brewery tours which give out samples to the public. There are a ton of brewery tours all across the United States and we want to visit all of them. Of course it is not all fun and games when you go on brewery tour, so we have compiled some helpful brewery tour tips to help you out. Remember to check out our Brewery tour map to find out the closest brewery tour to you.

Drink up and Taste Beer’s Excellence

Ever wonder just how all those great beers are made and where they all come from? You’re not alone. I used to think the same thing before I went on my first brewery tour. That’s why I started this website, to help out all those fans of beer looking to visit a brewery and see what’s going on. Now for the good news, chances are within a short drive you can see for yourself first-hand where many of your favorite beers come from. There are brewery tours big and small scattered across the United States. Each offers its own distinct coloring, flavor, aroma and history. I honestly never knew there were so many great local brewery tours out there. Countries such as Belgium and Germany may get most of the beer publicity, but never overlook what just may be brewing in your very own backyard. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Take a Brewery Tour

Tasting the freshly brewed beers is clearly everybody’s favorite part of a brewery tour. However, what many don’t realize is that it’s also the least important part of the brewery tour. Our years of experience in beer tasting and going on brewery tours across the globe has shown us that not only do you pay attention to the beer itself but also tasting room, service, and the brewing facilities. It’s in these areas that makes one brewery tour stand out from all the rest.

Beer N Wine Tours prides itself in not only reviewing the beers a brewer makes but all those the other important aspects of the brewery tour.

Enjoy the Taste of our Brewery Tour Reviews

When people think of beer, the image of frat parties and guys chugging unfortunately comes to mind. We want to show the world there is so much more to beer than that. Going to visit where your favorite beer is made helps you to appreciate all the hard work that goes into making the brew.

If you have a particular brewery tour or beer tour that you want us to review or maybe have your own review, let us know. We’d be thrilled to let you share it with the world.

The Correct Etiquette for Beer Tasting on a Brewery Tour

There is so much more to drinking a beer than simply opening up a bottle, taking a long chug and then swallowing it without a second thought of savoring the taste. Beer N Wine Tours sees brewery tours as an adventure. The secret to understanding this adventure is through learning about the brewery’s history and its many different beers. With our help, you’ll feel completely comfortable knowing the correct way to drink a beer on your next brewery trip.

The first bit of information you need to know is beer must always be served in a glass. You’ll never appreciate the finer qualities of a beer by drinking it from a bottle or worse yet, a can! Your glass must be clean with absolutely zero detergent residues. These residues prevent the beer’s collar from forming to its full potential and as you will soon see it is a key component to drinking a beer correctly.

When tasting a beer on a brewery tour, pay attention for the following qualities:

·Look - Pay attention to how the beer looks in the glass. What color is it? For example, is your beer pale, amber, dark or maybe a little of something in between?

So many people make the mistake of not noticing the color of their beer when in fact the retention of its collar is the first thing the beer is judged by. Only then do you look at the color and clarity. When judging clarity, look through the glass. Does the beer appear clear or cloudy? Stouts and wheat beers appear cloudy, while ales tend to be more clear and bright.

What kind of coating is left around the glass once the initial collar dissolves? The better quality beers hold collar retention longer.The dissolved collar should also leave a creamy thick coating around the glass with the better the quality beers.

·Smell -Take a great big sniff and enjoy what heaven must smell like. In my mind, nothing smells better that a great beer on a brewery tour. As you smell, think about all the different aromas coming from your glass. You want to drink it now, don’t you? Well, hang on we are getting there. Does the smell make you want to drink it?

You catch the beer’s dominant aroma released from the beer at the time of the pour. This is all picked up during your initial smell. You should be able to smell traces of malt, butterscotch, and/or hops foremost, but don’t be surprised if there are any other unusual scents as well. This depends on the types of ingredients used by the brew-master. Also pay attention while on the brewery tour because they will probably tell you what hose unusual scents and ingredients that make up their beer.

Smelling a good beer should be done more than once while on your brewery tour. Your beer’s second smelling is done after the beer has been allowed to settle a little in the glass. Much like you do with a glass of wine, swirl the beer around in the glass before you smell again. Notice this time there is a secondary aroma with either a flowery, fruity or spicy scent to it.

Towards the end you should now be able to detect the beer’s residual signatory aroma. The majority of the quality beers out there will have an underlying nutty or earthy aroma to them.

·Taste – How does the beer taste? Does the taste linger in your mouth and what about any after-taste? Never chug during a beer tasting while on a brewery tour. The idea is to enjoy the taste of it; not to get drunk. Remember, you’re looking to learn the different qualities of each beer while on a brewery tour.

Beer tasting and wine tasting share many of the same qualities, but there are some obvious differences for obvious reasons. For example, you swallow the beer when tasting and not spitting it out. You do this to determine the initial flavor. Take a small sip and let it sit in your mouth for a couple of seconds. As you are doing this, breathe through your nose, and allow your sense of smell an opportunity to appreciate the aromas. This combination of smell and taste lets you discover all of the wonderful flavors the beer has to offer.

Time for your second sip. This one has more to do with feel of the beer in your mouth. Is there a metallic or powdery feel? Does the beer contain a lot of carbonation?

The last sip of your beer tasting while on the brewery tour involves the aftertaste. It is only after you experience the beer’s aftertaste can you pass judgment on it. Different types of beers have varying aftertastes depending on the type it is and how it was brewed. For example, ales come with little to no aftertaste, while a dark stout gives you a long and heavy bitter aftertaste. As you are beer tasting, pay close attention to the aftertaste being bitter, sweet, or malty more than anything else. This shows the true quality of the brew.

·Overall - How was your overall experience with this beer? Would you drink it again? Was the beer good enough to recommend it to someone? Try to take everything you just learned into effect every time you taste a new beer while on a brewery tour. You’ll thank yourself.

Before beer tasting, you might want to research the different types of recipes that will be featured on your brewery tour. Know which ones use wheat, hops or corn, for example. The brewing process is a fascinating one. Hopefully after a few different brewery tours and tastes, you can be an expert on which type of brewery or brewing makes the best tasting beer.

Not only is beer tasting on brewery tours one of my favorite hobbies, but I find it to be a learning experience. From the lighter beers to the dark stouts, every individual beer has its own personality and flavor. Every new beer I try on a brewery tour, I always learn something new.