Best Brewery Tour (2020)

Visitors in Hershey can choose between three tour options at Tröegs Independent Brewing, a free self-guided tour through the heart of the brewery, a guided production tour or a Splinter Tour exploring the brewery's barrel-aging program. The popular production tour includes a behind-the-scenes look at the wood-aging cellar, mill room, hop cooler, brewhouse, fermentation cellar and packaging line. A welcome beer is included.
Photo courtesy of Tröegs Independent Brewing

Bell’s, one of the oldest craft breweries east of Colorado, started out with a 15-gallon soup pot in 1985. Today, visitors can tour the facilities free of charge at both the Comstock and Kalamazoo locations to learn more about the processes of brewing, fermentation and packaging. Tours include complimentary samples.
Photo courtesy of Bell's Brewery

You don’t have to fly to Dublin for a behind-the-scenes Guinness experience, thanks to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore. Hour long tours of the facility cover Guinness heritage while offering a glimpse at how the iconic stout is made today, stateside. Each tour includes a complimentary keepsake.
Photo courtesy of Guinness Open Gate Brewery

Visitors to the New Belgium facilities in both Fort Collins and Asheville are in for a treat. Free 90-minute tours include beer sampling (of course) as well as stories of the brewery's history. After the tour, guests are invited to enjoy beers in the tasting room or grab a bite to eat from a rotating list of visiting food trucks.
Photo courtesy of New Belgium Brewing Company

Tours of Boulevard Brewing Co. are offered daily throughout the year (free on Wednesdays). These 45-minute trips through the facilities include a walking tour of the brewery, followed by samples in the tasting room. Those looking for a more in-depth experience can sign up for a two-hour Smokestack Tour & Tasting with food and beer pairings or a weekend Unfiltered Tour to areas often off-limits to visitors.
Photo courtesy of Boulevard Brewing Company

A tour of Yards gives beer lovers an inside look at how one of Philadelphia’s most popular beers is made. These humorous (and entirely wheelchair accessible) tours take guests through the production facilities, with tastings along the way and last about 40 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Yards Brewing Co.

San Diego's king of craft beer offers public tours of both its flagship or Richmond production facilities. Beer experts lead visitors through the brewing facility and packaging hall while offering insight into the science of brewing and craft beer culture. Tours end with a tasting and include a souvenir glass.
Photo courtesy of Stone Brewing

Samuel Adams has long been a giant in the Boston beer scene, and visitors are invited to learn more about the history of the company and its famous Boston Lager during free 60-minute tours of the brewery. After hours tours let guests see the facilities with a cold one in hand. Other themed tours focus on the brewery’s history and barrel aging program.
Photo courtesy of Samuel Adams

The first-come, first-served free tours of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery offer a laid-back journey through the working brewhouse, cellars and bottling line for a chance to watch the magic happen. For beer lovers, grain to glass tours go into normally off-limits parts of the facilities, including cold storage, the grain handling room and the barrel-aging room.
Photo courtesy of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Sierra Nevada beer fans have the opportunity to tour brewing facilities in either California or North Carolina. During each 45-minute interactive tour, visitors trace the process from grain to bottle. Smell whole-cone hops, sample sugary wort and finished with a guided tasting of Sierra Nevada beers. Heritage, Beer Geek and Hop Head tours go further in depth.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.