March 2012
1 post
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“Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery overlooks the wild and...”
– Deschutes Brewery website
Named after the river that “bends” near Bend, Oregon, the Deschutes (pronounced “duh-SHOOTS”) brewers must be inspired by nature’s beauty to produce such quality beers.
“Why It’s Named …” is an ongoing feature about...
February 2012
11 posts
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“My husband, Randal (Randy) Sprecher, started Sprecher Brewing Company in 1985....”
– Anne Sprecher, PR and Marketing at Sprecher Brewing Company
Sprecher is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and are as well known for their great craft beers as their delicious sodas. I especially enjoy their famous root beer in a homemade float. Mmm!
“Why It’s Named …” is an...
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Brewery Tour Recap -- Early 2012
We have toured and reviewed many breweries (and even one root beer bottleworks) here on The Brewery Tourist over the past year. Here’s a recap of all of those reviews along with hints about some upcoming ones to look forward to:
Our complete list of brewery tour reviews can always be found on the BREWERY TOURS page, accessible via the link to the right. Enjoy!
15 tags
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“In Aztec mythology, the 400 Rabbits or Centzon Totochtin were the children of...”
– 5 Rabbit Cerveceria press release kit provided by Isaac Showaki, co-founder
5 Rabbit is the first Latin microbrewery in the United States and happens to be located in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. They brew some ambitious and delicious beers.
“Why It’s Named …” is an...
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Brewing My Own Beer – Part 1
By Matt Osmundsen
Chicago, IL — Even though I’ve toured many breweries and listened to various tour guides explain the brewing process, I have never actually brewed beer myself. I wanted to, but my excuses have ranged from “I don’t have room for the equipment” to “I don’t have the time” to “I’ll probably screw it up”. BevArt Brewer & Winemaker Supply addressed all of my concerns and left...
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“Lucky Town is actually the translation of Gluckstadt, which is a small community...”
– Lucas Simmons, Brewmaster at Lucky Town Brewing Company
Lucas and his crew are currently attempting to raise start-up funds for a brewery using Kickstarter. There is still time to support their worthy Kickstarter campaign. Good luck, Lucky Town!
“Why It’s Named …” is an...
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January 2012
4 posts
6 tags
New Glarus Brewery Tour
Written by Laura Sandy with Scott Weber
New Glarus, WI — If you are not from the Midwest, New Glarus Brewing Company is probably the best brewery you’ve never heard of. Wait, take that back. With a projected 100,000+ barrel production in 2011 (final numbers not available at this time), multiple Best Brewery awards, and numerous gold medal awards for their many beers, New Glarus is probably...
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Link Spotlight: Lucky Town's Kickstarter Campaign
Lucas Simmons, brewmaster at the Lucky Town Brewing Company, recently reached out to tell me about their newly launched Kickstarter campaign to open Mississippi’s second brewery. Unbeknownst to me, Mississippi has unusually restrictive liquor laws, which has stifled the spread of craft beers in their state. Lucas and his team at Lucky Town hope to remedy that problem.
Please read...
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Why It's Named ... Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head is well-known for its deliciously daring and imaginative beers. That great imagination seems to have carried through to the creation of its name. But why “Dogfish Head”?
I visited their official website for the answer:
Dogfish Head is a place. Think Hilton Head… just like the famous jut of land off the Carolina coast, Dogfish Head is a (soon-to-be?) famous jut...
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Tin Mill Brewery Tour
Written by Matt Osmundsen with John Hueseman
Hermann, MO – “Everything’s German in Hermann” should be this Missouri town’s slogan. Hermann was settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. Located an hour and a half drive west of St. Louis along the banks of the Missouri River, Hermann is home to many German attractions, which includes, of course, a brewery. This one is...
November 2011
4 posts
7 tags
Watch
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Link Spotlight: 20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer
If you haven’t seen the web comics of a man that calls himself “The Oatmeal,” then you have been missing out. It’s hilarious stuff. One particularly relevant and informative comic is devoted to explaining the origins of beer, how it’s made, and other fun (and funny) facts. Here’s one:
Vikings believed that a giant goat whose udders provided an endless supply...
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Why It's Named ... Half Acre
Chicago beer aficionados surely know and love the delicious brews cranked out by the Half Acre Brewing Company on the north side of the city. What they probably don’t know is why it’s named Half Acre.
Here is the official word straight from the founder, Gabriel Magliaro:
In concept: The Half Acre is anywhere you can grab some peace and quiet, an opportunity to step back, a chance...
7 tags
Yazoo Brewery Tour
By Matt Osmundsen with Reggie Bogart
Nashville, TN — Back in mid-September, a group of our friends ventured to the Music City in search of good music and good times. Amid our tours of the various country music landmarks, we all had the opportunity to enjoy one of Nashville’s newer treasures, the Yazoo Brewing Company. In “beer years” it is very young, only being in...
September 2011
4 posts
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Fitz's Root Beer Tour
By Matt Osmundsen
St. Louis, MO — Root beer is neither a root nor a beer. Discuss. It’s true, root beer’s connection to real beer is in name only, but we’ll make an exception this one time. Fitz’s Premium Root Beer is truly an American classic that deserves a spot next to the storied craft breweries in the fizzy history of carbonated beverages. Located in St. Louis, Missouri—in the Delmar...
July 2011
3 posts
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Watch
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Link Spotlight: Brewery Tour Do's and Don'ts
Lee Salawitch over at The Brew Club offers up some great tips and etiquette for when you’re touring a brewery in “Brewery Tours - Do’s and Don’ts.” Here’s a taste of just one tip from his article:
Do tour local breweries. Beer is produced in hundreds of cities across the country, not just in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Golden, Colorado.
Visit …...
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Help Wanted: Aspiring Brewery Tour Writers
Since our first guest post on The Brewery Tourist (see New Belgium) was such a smashing success, I wanted to extend the invite to the greater brewery touring public. If you have ever wanted to share your thoughts about a particularly fun, interesting, or just plain unusual brewery tour that you experienced, please leave a comment below, or email me. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up...
June 2011
7 posts
8 tags
Link Spotlight: Pipeworks Kickstarts a Brewery
You might have heard of Kickstarter.com, a website that allows people to post their own project and try to collect the funds needed to “kickstart” it. In return, these funders receive some kind of reward. Some enterprising individuals in Chicago, Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis, used Kickstarter to raise money to start their very own brewery, the Pipeworks Brewing Company.
Since I’m a huge fan of...
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New Belgium Brewery Tour
By Heidi Hueseman and Kelly Hueseman
Fort Collins, CO — Imagine a place where your inner child is creatively entertained, the flowers shoot high toward the Colorado sun, and your thirst is quenched by a variety of exciting beer styles named funny things like “Skinny Dip” and “Fat Tire”. This isn’t Willy Wonka’s Beer Factory, but that’s the best way to describe New Belgium Brewing Company, a...
5 tags
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Goose Island Brewery Tour
By Matt Osmundsen
Chicago, IL — I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and later moved to the north side of the city after college. Because of my hometown roots, Goose Island Brewery holds a special place in my heart.
Goose Island has three main locations in Chitown. First is their main production facility on Fulton Street. (This is where the magic happens!) Second is a brewpub on...
Brand New Sections!
I added two brand spanking new sections to this website (access via the links at the top). Check them out!
ABOUT — A little write-up about me and the genesis of this blog
LINKS — Websites, articles, and blog posts about brewery tours, etc.
May 2011
1 post
7 tags
Schlafly Brewery Tour
By Matt Osmundsen
St. Louis, MO — Schlafly can be a bit of a tongue twister. Think Shh-Laugh-Lee. But it’s more than worth the enunciation effort to be able to properly order one of their mouth-watering beers. Founded twenty years ago in the Midwestern metropolis of St. Louis, Missouri, Schlafly Brewery is one tour not to miss.
But first, any discussion of beer brewed in St. Louis must...
April 2011
1 post
6 tags
Samuel Adams Brewery Tour
By Matt Osmundsen
Boston, MA — Sam Adams was one of the original craft brewers in the U.S. and stands tall today as the largest one. Some beer aficionados may scoff at Sam Adams’ designation as a craft brewery (due to its size and success), but its brewing roots are pure.
Personally, Sam Adams Boston Lager was the first craft beer I ever tasted. And it tasted pretty good. So, when I was...