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The Charlottesville Brew Tour

Local Craft Brewery Tours

 

“The craft beverage revolution is upon us, and being on the front lines is intoxicating."

*Since we do not have a pre-set tour itinerary, and our tours are not priced per person, tasting fees are NOT included in tour cost.

Below Are Options For Day Time Brewery Tours!  

Charlottesville Brewery Tour for Two

Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 3 PASSENGERS

Five (5) hour brew tour in one of our luxury sedans. Typically we can visit three or four breweries. We can accommodate 3 with this tour option but one person sits in the front passenger seat. If you prefer everyone be in the passenger cabin, we recommend the SUV Brew Tour.


Group Brew Tour

Small Group SUV Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 6 PASSENGERS

Five (5) hour brew tour in one of our SUVs.  Visit and taste at the best micro breweries in the Charlottesville and Crozet area.  The brewery scene on 151 is exploding and we know you will love the experience! We can typically visit 3 breweries!


Group Brewery Tour in Charlottesville

Group Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 14 PASSENGERS

Five (5) hour brew tour in one of our new 14 Passenger Van/Coaches. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour. 


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Limo Party Bus Brew Tour

Seats up to 22 Passengers

Five (5) hour brew tour in one of our brand new 24 Passenger Limo Party Bus. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour. 


Charottesville Brewery Tour

Bus Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 32 PASSENGERS

Five (5) hour brew tour in one of our new 32 Passenger Buses. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour. 


Questions? ... Call Us At 434-531-5802 to talk to a Brew Tour Master!

 

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Welcome to the golden age of American beer.

By: Lee Graves

Within our lifetime, the brewing terrain in the United States has gone from a landscape dominated by fizzy, light lagers (not that there’s anything wrong with that) to a fertile environment rich with a diversity of beers, styles and destinations. Our nation now has more breweries than ever in its history and leads the globe in creative brewing.

What role has the Old Dominion played in this transformation? You’d be surprised. The Central Virginia region’s most iconic figure, Thomas Jefferson, was a total beer geek. He advocated beer as a drink of temperance in the battle against rampant alcoholism from drinking whiskey and rum. While known more as a wine connoisseur, Jefferson always had beer and cider present for guests and diners at Monticello. He also had one of his slaves, Peter Hemings, trained by a professional brewer from London, and Monticello’s outbuildings included a malting house and brewery. Beer was serious business at the mountaintop home; even Martha Jefferson earned local acclaim for her pale ale, and records show her purchasing hops for the cost of an “old shirt.” Jefferson also encouraged the cultivation of apples (in particular the Albemarle pippin) for cider, which was one of the mainstays of colonial beverages.

That pioneering spirit resonates today in the current blossoming of craft beer, cider and distilled spirits. The Brew Ridge Trail, a collaboration brainstormed by Nelson County official Maureen Kelley and area brewers, was the first venture in the state to link tourism to these destinations. Now, numerous localities draw thousands of visitors by connecting beer and other beverages with agriculture, history, economic development and other facets of their identity

Another regional pioneer, Blue Mountain Brewing Company in Afton, has been a leader in growing hops for use in its own beers, and the Old Dominion Hops Co-op begun in Rockbridge County has blossomed into a multi-state organization. These local hops give beer “terroir,” or the taste of place, which has been such a valued aspect of the wine world.

Wild Wolf Brewing Company is unique in the state for having a mother-son partnership between Mary Wolf, a former executive with AOL, and her son, Danny, the company’s brewmaster. Just down the road, Devils Backbone Brewing Company has grown in stature, not only as the state’s leading producer in terms of volume (thanks to its Outpost location outside Lexington) but also for the numerous national and international awards for its beers and its business operation.

Charlottesville was the site of the first brewpub in the state—Blue Ridge Brewery—and now the inner city boasts another thriving brewpub, South Street, and breweries such as Three Notch’d, Champion and C’Ville-ian.

The breadth of styles available at these area establishments is enough to turn the head of any beer geek. Care for a German-style gose made with sea salt? Check out Champion. How about a nice malty doppelbock? Head to Starr Hill in Crozet. Fancy a stout infused with coffee beans and brewed with oatmeal? Try Three Notch’d. Maybe you’re more in the mood for an easy-drinking Belgian-style blond ale. You’ll find offerings at Pro Re Nata Farm Brewery in Crozet and Wild Wolf in Nellysford. The same adventurous spirit of creativity and homage to history can be found at Bold Rock, Potter’s Craft, Albemarle Ciderworks,  and other cideries as well as distilleries like Silverback and Virginia Distillery Co. These businesses have been economic boons in their own right, but they also have spawned even more growth in food trucks, hop farms, malting houses and restaurants.

The accomplishments of breweries like Devils Backbone, Starr Hill, Champion and Three Notch’d—as well as the growing stature of Virginia’s craft beer scene in general—have drawn the attention of some of the nation’s largest and most prestigious breweries. Green Flash and Stone have chosen Virginia for East Coast facilities, and more breweries have been eyeing sites in the Old Dominion.

Stone’s decision to locate in Richmond puts a spotlight on that area’s beer culture. Legend Brewing Co., which dates to 1993, is the veteran among a crop of creative and community-minded breweries. You can spend a day in the country at Lickinghole Creek’s farm brewery in Goochland County, or you can shop in Carytown after a pint at Garden Grove Brewing Co. Cornhole games, food trucks and live music add to the family-friendly appeal of Hardywood Park, Isley, Ardent, Strangeways, Triple Crossing, Center of the Universe and others.

With more than 120 breweries in Virginia—and counting—it’s time to hoist a glass of golden beverage and toast a golden age in drinking.

Lee Graves has been writing about beer since 1996 and is author of “Richmond Beer: A History of Brewing in the River City.” He is currently completing a second book on the history of brewing and the current beer scene in the Charlottesville region.


LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR LOCAL BREWERIES

 

Charlottesville And Crozet Brewery Tours

Central Virginia’s experience of local breweries started in the late 1990’s with the establishment of a brewery in the old grain building on South Street, and another in the Starr Hill neighborhood off of Main Street.  South Street Brewery focused entirely on being a destination brewpub, while Starr Hill Brewery involved itself in the music scene, and positioned itself for wider distribution.  For nearly a decade these two breweries were the main purveyors of craft beer in central Virginia, which paved the way for a second wave of new breweries in the mid to late 2000’s.  As the brewing scene has exploded it can be hard to keep track of all of the breweries we could visit.  Our Brew Trail Masters (kind of like Jedi Knights) look forward to touring with you on an unforgettable day on the Brew Trail!

Evening Brewery Tour Options!

“The craft beverage revolution is upon us, and being on the front lines is intoxicating."

*Since we do not have a pre-set tour itinerary, and our tours are not priced per person, tasting fees are NOT included in tour cost.

 

Charlottesville Brewery Tour for Two

Evening Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 3 PASSENGERS

Four (4) hour brew tour in one of our luxury sedans. Typically we can visit several breweries. We can accommodate 3 with this tour option but one person sits in the front passenger seat. If you prefer everyone be in the passenger cabin, we recommend the SUV Brew Tour. If you want to stay longer at one location for dinner we certainly encourage that as some of the best pub food can be found at our local craft breweries.  


Group Brew Tour

Small Group Night Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 6 PASSENGERS

Four (4) hour brew tour in one of our SUVs.  Visit and taste at the best micro breweries in the Charlottesville and Crozet area.  The brewery scene on 151 is exploding and we know you will love the experience! We can typically visit 3 breweries! You can also visit extra breweries or stay at one for dinner if you would like to extend your tour.


Group Brewery Tour in Charlottesville

Evening Group Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 14 PASSENGERS

Four (4) hour brew tour in one of our new 14 Passenger Van/Coaches. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour. Making dinner reservation is also recommended if you plan to eat at of our the breweries.


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Night Limo Party Bus Brew Tour

Seats up to 24 Passengers

Four (4) hour brew tour in one of our brand new 24 Passenger Limo Party Bus. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour.  Making dinner reservation is also recommended if you plan to eat at of our the breweries.


Charottesville Brewery Tour

Evening Bus Brew Tour

SEATS UP TO 32 PASSENGERS

Four (4) hour brew tour in one of our new 32 Passenger Buses. We can add a Custom Designed Itinerary for $50. If you do not choose for us to craft your itinerary, please call the breweries you wish to visit prior to tour.  Making dinner reservation is also recommended if you plan to eat at of our the breweries.


Questions? ... Call Us At 434-531-5802 to talk to a Brew Tour Master!