Why you should go on a Calgary Brewery Tour.
If it's a Friday afternoon and you're headed to your local liquor store to grab a six pack of Bud-light which is an American light lager, or cans of Guinness which is an Irish Stout, did you know that there are breweries right here in Calgary that make those exact same styles? Perhaps you are an avid beer drinker and you already know a thing or two about local breweries and you go to your favourite spot because they have a really good amber ale. Did you know there are dozens of variations on amber ales that form the foundation of beer's history and that exploring the diverse variations within those styles made locally can be a rewarding experience that also helps support your community? Maybe you think a brewery tour is too expensive. Did you know it costs less to join a local brewery tour than creating the same excursion with friends using ride shares or taxis and you can all ride together in the same vehicle while receiving extra perks that you wouldn't get on your own adventure?
With nearly 50 taprooms in Calgary, it can be difficult to find the time to try new breweries outside of the normal areas where we live, work or study. Often it is convenient just to visit breweries that are located close to our residences, school or places of employment because getting home afterwards is much easier. For the most part, these local haunts have a nice variety of beer to choose from in the form of 'core beers' which are always on tap and then a few extra special releases or seasonals. Supporting these breweries by visiting their taproom is certainly the best way to keep the Calgary craft community healthy and strong, but if you like craft brews, are adventurous and want to explore more about the local scene, and if you enjoy helping multiple businesses in your community, then you might consider signing up for a YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tour.
Most people envision a brewery tour involving some rickety old bus, driving down the road with a dance pole in the middle and a bunch of rowdy drinkers hanging their heads out the windows yelling "woo-hoo". Although those types of party buses do exist in Calgary, that is not what happens at YYCTOURS. Instead, well-behaved guests are transported in high-roof passenger vans or shuttles to three unique brewery districts across the city where they will experience a wide range of beer culture from three different breweries that have been carefully selected based on the likes and dislikes of the guests who booked the tour. By asking questions when the reservation is initially made, YYCTOURS creates an event that is specifically curated to meet the tastes of its participants.
When it comes to cost, leaving your house with friends and visiting breweries in three districts across Calgary, paying for a behind the scenes tour, purchasing flights for everyone, tipping on all this and then going back home after in a ride-share or taxi would actually be more expensive than a Calgary Brewery Tour with YYCTOURS. Plus, with one of their private tours, you also receive personalised service, prizes, guaranteed seating, special discounts at each stop and beer education that you would not have access to on your own tour. Not to mention, everyone stays in the same vehicle, at the same time, as opposed to part of your group saying "You take this taxi, we will wait for the next one and meet you there".
As YYCTOURS is Calgary's only locally owned and operated craft tour and charter provider, they keep their finger on the pulse of what is happening in the local beer world and work with their guests to create an ultimate craft experience. Each Calgary craft beer tour is run by 'Beer Nerds' who are former home-brewers and aspiring or certified cicerones/beer judges and who are always thirsty to learn more about their favourite drink, especially when it comes to sampling it. They always know who has the best of each style and are happy to showcase these breweries to all tour guests.
The YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tour focuses on an engaging experience where guests not only sample at least a dozen fantastic and freshly made Calgary craft beers or other Canadian craft products, but where attendees also have fun learning about beer in an easy-to-follow and entertaining fashion. Each group gets taken behind-the-scenes at one of the three stops for a crash course on the brewery, their equipment, how beer is made and often to meet the wonderful people that make the beer. From large scale facilities to microbreweries and nanobreweries, tour guides cover the ingredients, where they come from and how they are used along with beer history and tutorials on what to look for in each style of beer. A YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tour is like a mini beer-school that provides stories, facts and history about beer where each group is shown what makes the Calgary and Alberta craft beer scene one of the most awarded in the country.
Calgary is home to two recent Canadian Brewery of the Year winners (The Establishment, Common Crown), multiple Alberta Brewery of the Year winners, several Canadian Gold, Silver and Bronze medals winners, and of course dozens of Alberta Beer Award winners. YYCTOURS provides its guests with access to only the best of these Calgary Breweries to ensure each tour incudes the finest beers in town. YYCTOURS also provides Alberta Craft Beer News, Calgary Brewery Reviews, and a collection of Calgary Brewery Maps including Calgary's only Dog Friendly Brewery Map that shows users which breweries allow dogs.
What to Expect on a Calgary Brewery Tour
The breweries that are included on a Calgary brewery tour are determined primarily by the guests pick up or drop off location as each tour includes having the YYCTOURS guide come to your address to greet your group. The tour is usually designed to stay close to that area so that more time can be spent at each facility with less time driving around town. From there, guests are also able to request in advance certain venues or styles of beer and the team at YYCTOURS will try to build the excursion around those requests. Often guests want to stop somewhere that has something to eat, and YYCTOURS works with many venues that offer a variety of food choices that can still be visited without affecting the timing of a tour. Essentially, YYCTOURS does everything they can to create the best possible experience for your group. However, the greatest overall beer experience comes when allowing the YYC Beer Nerds to pick the spots that they think have the best brew at the moment, or that will provide the most rewarding exposure to Calgary's craft scene for all guests. This almost always includes stops at breweries that groups have not been to before.
Each Calgary Brewery Tour is 3.5 hours long from pick up to drop off. Once you are greeted by the Calgary Brewery Tour guide and seated comfortably in the vehicle, your group will head to the first venue. On the way, a brief explanation of ingredients and beer history is provided so that once the group arrives at the first brewery (where guests go behind the scenes), the information is still fresh and speeds up the facility walk-through, giving more time for sampling and fun. While still at stop number one, after learning about beer and ingredients, groups then put what they have learned to the test by sampling a flight of diverse brews, answering trivia for prizes and learning how to judge beer. After this, there is usually enough time to purchase and enjoy additional drinks or to grab some beer or merchandise to go, with most venues offering 10-20% off for guests on the YYC Brewery Tour.
After about 50 minutes at the first brewery, the tour then heads off for another 50 minutes at stop number two. While here, guests again sample at least four unique styles of beer and continue to learn more about them, their history and a bit about the brewery. If guests are interested in only drinking lagers, YYCTOURS can make that happen, but for the most part, their goal is to showcase as many different beer styles available in Calgary as they can. Again, this stop includes time for additional drinks and merchandise purchases at discounted prices which helps support local small business.
At stop number three on the Calgary Brewery Tour guides introduce participants to, and talk about, at least four more styles of high-quality beer at another excellent Calgary venue. By now, guests have learned enough about beer to run their own brewery. Ok, maybe not, but they will definitely know enough beer information to impress their friends the next time they are out for a pint. Like with every stop, there is always time to grab some additional drinks. At this stage, the Calgary Brewery Tour guide will check their clock. If the drop off location is 20 minutes away from this last brewery, then the guide will time departure so that groups are dropped off at their chosen address precisely at the 3.5 hours after pick up mark.
During a Calgary Brewery Tour, the guide is essentially the groups own private concierge. They are there to make sure guests have a great experience. They open doors, assist the breweries with service and cleaning, provide the behind the scenes brewery tour, beer trivia/history and all of the information guests will receive on the tour. They will introduce groups to owners and brew masters when they can and they will be sure to try their best to entertain everyone with bad jokes, all while maintaining a safe and timely schedule.
All in all the YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tour is for any type of beer drinker and can be designed to make sure there is something for everyone.
If beer is not your thing, YYCTOURS also offers the city's only Calgary Wine Tour as well as a great Calgary Distillery Tour. By booking an event with YYCTOURS, you are choosing to support the only locally owned craft tour and charter provider and you are choosing to support several local small businesses at once. YYCTOURS has great industry connections and a knack for working with industry leaders, so every local tour is going to be about good quality products, education and most of all fun!
Alternatively, if you would like to arrange your own night out with friends, YYCTOURS also has charters available for rent by the hour. Â
And while you are here, if you know anyone who likes to golf, YYCTOURS has a new Golf shuttle program coming this spring.
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Cheers