A guide to visiting microbreweries

If you’re a fan of craft beer, chances are you’d have a great time visiting a microbrewery. Most offer tours that give you the opportunity to see first-hand how they make their beer and to sample their offerings straight from the source.

Planning your visit
Many microbreweries have designated visiting hours and offer tours at specific times. Generally, you can find this information on their websites and book your visit by phone or email.

Some smaller microbreweries don’t have formal visiting hours, but often you can set up a tour by getting in touch with them.

What to expect
During the tour, you’ll learn about the brewery’s history and its particular brewing methods. Typically, the tour ends in the tasting room, where you get to sample the brewery’s beers right out of the fermentation tanks.

Want to take some of that freshly brewed beer home? Many microbreweries are happy to sell you beer by the growler (a big transportable jug that holds four pints).

Usually, the microbrewery will sell growlers on site, but you can also bring your own.

Growler beers should be opened within a week, then consumed within a day or two.

After the tour
A number of microbreweries have their own brewpub on site. You’ll be able to grab a bite and enjoy a freshly brewed pint or two. Bottoms up!