15 of the Top Brewery Tours to Take in the US
Lagunitas Brewing Company — Chicago, IL
While Lagunitas Brewing Company is based in California, the Chicago facility offers especially entertaining tours. To get to the taproom, you’ll need to walk through a hallway that has been painted with glow-in-the-dark paint and lit with black lights as the song “Pure Imagination” (from the film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) plays overhead.
Along the way you’ll be able to look through windows into the brewery to witness the action. Once in the waiting room, the tasting fun begins, with staff pouring samples and answering questions.
The free walking tours last 30 to 40 minutes, taking you through and above the floor with several stops and plenty of fascinating information about the history of the company and its brewing process. Tour times are as follows:
- Weekends: On the hour from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Wednesdays through Fridays: 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Great Divide Brewing Company — Denver, CO
Established a quarter of a century ago, Great Divide Brewing Company has become a highly acclaimed craft brewery with five World Beer Cup awards and 18 Great American Beer Festival medals to its name to date. While its downtown Denver Barrel Bar offers 16 taps of year-round and seasonal beers, visitors can take a free guided tour for a behind-the-scenes look at its new facility in Denver’s River North Neighborhood and enjoy samples of the beer that’s known for its high-quality, often local ingredients.
The 30-minute tours are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis every day of the week at the following times:
- Weekdays: 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Weekends: On the hour between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
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Green Man Brewery — Asheville, NC
This beautiful city is relatively new to the beer scene, but it’s begun to build an international reputation with nearly a dozen breweries, meaning that, per capita, it has one of the country’s highest number of breweries. Green Man Brewery is especially popular, having brewed tasty beers for over two decades in Asheville, including some of the city’s most iconic ales, from creative brews to well-loved traditional English styles.
The approximately 60-minute-long tours are free and include the chance to learn about the brewery’s history and sample four flagship and specialty beers. Tours are available Thursday through Sunday throughout the year at various times and require booking in advance.
