DRAFT Magazine's Picks for the Top Brewery Tours

Following are DRAFT’s picks for the best brewery tours, which can be found in the September/October issue of the magazine:

Family Friendly:

·         Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, MI.  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.  www.lakefrontbrewery.com

·         Runners-up:

o   Guinness’ St. James 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.  www.guinness-storehouse.com.

o   Great Divide Brewery, Denver, Colo.  Nothing brings a family together like a tour of Great Divide’s handsome brewery.  www.greatdivide.com

Romantic:

·         Stone World Bistro and Gardens, San Diego, CA.  On Saturdays, the brewery hold six separate tours, each full with the maximum 25 people.  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.  The setting of the brewery provides the romance.  The stunning Stone restaurant and beer garden is adjacent to the brewery.  Adirondack chairs, perfect for sipping a Stone IPA with a loved one, sit scatter throughout the premises. www.stonebrew.com

·         Runners-up:

o   Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore.  What’s the only thing better than a quaint bed and breakfast?  One that’s attached to a brewery.  www.rogue.com

o   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.  www.ommegang.com

For The Guys:

·         Capital Brewery, Middleton, Wisc.  Provides an opportunity to grab the boys, hop in a card, and hit the hops.  The interactivity of the tour is the highlight, as are the brewery’s 15 award-winning brews.  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.  www.capital-brewery.com

·         Runners-up:

o   Sixpoint Craft Ales, New York City.  At this Brooklyn brewery, it’s just you, a couple of friends, the brewmaster and literally tons of beer.  www.sixpointcraftales.com

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