On my vacation this summer, one of the things I hit up were tours I’d been meaning to take - including Lakefront Brewery. It’s close to home and I’ve heard from friends that it’s their favorite brewery tour, but I had just never made the time for it.
I rectified that.
Honestly, it’s a small tour, but a good one. The brewery is in a single building, with a gift shop, a large tasting room, a room overlooking the brewery floor, and the brewery floor itself.
You’re given tokens for four 6-oz beers, and your guide encourages you to fill up before the tour starts. Then they talk about the start of the brewery, and the basics of brewing (which you get on every tour of every brewery you visit) and then there’s a break to cash in more tokens for more beer. Then the tour moves down to the end of the bottling line where they talk about bottling and kegging and such.
When it’s all done, you can trade in your sample cup for a Lakefront Brewery pint glass.
The whole thing costs a mere $7.00.
What really makes the tour a step above the rest is that it’s relaxed, fun and funny. I think they pick their tour guides carefully, because I’ve heard the same from other people who’ve taken the tour, and I don’t think we’ve all had the same guides.
Most tours I’ve taken have been interesting, filled with information and led by people who are passionate about the history of the brewery or the crafting of good beer. My Lakefront tour guide was passionate about drinking, funny as hell, and had a sense of humor somewhere between a 12 year old and a college co-ed. Really, the guide made the tour great. It doesn’t hurt that I have yet to have a beer from Lakefront that isn’t good.
My suggestion - take the tour. Do it. You won’t regret it.
