California’s vibrant craft brewery scene begs to be explored — preferably with a designated driver. Fortunately, there are a slew of brewery tour companies eager to help. Whether you hop aboard a sleek, retrofitted bus in Santa Cruz or grab a seat on a 15-passenger bicycle (yes, really!) in San Jose or Sacramento, you’re in for an afternoon of hoppy exploration. Here are a few options to get you started.
1 Santa Cruz Brew Cruz
Santa Cruz is one of California’s many thriving craft beer hubs — and a prime location for a beer lover’s weekend getaway. But hopscotching across the Santa Cruz area while sampling beers might not seem like the best idea if you drove into town. Enter the Brew Cruz, Annie Pautsch’s brewery tour company, which whisks guests around in a renovated 1989 Thomas International school bus, rechristened “Betty Jane.” The four-hour tours ($69) include stops at three breweries. We sent writer Daniel Jimenez for a hoppy spin around this sunny beach town — read the details here. You’ll find a calendar and reservation information at www.scbrewcruz.com.
2 The San Jose Brew Bike
Beer lovers and fitness nuts, here’s how to get a good workout and imbibe all in the same afternoon. The San Jose Brew Bike is a passenger-powered 15-seat bicycle tour that promises to take you around the city’s burgeoning beer scene. Passengers pedal; your tour guide handles the steering. Tours ($25 and up) can be booked in 2-, 2.5- and 3-hour increments for up to 14 people, with stops at locations such as the Original Gravity Public House, O’Flaherty’s and other downtown San Jose hop houses. Experience the tour vicariously here. Then find tour details and book a seat at www.sanjosebrewbike.com.
3 Sac Brew Bike
Prefer to do that beer biking through Sacramento’s burgeoning beer scene? The original brew bike tour company was launched right here in 2014 by a pair of UC Davis alums. Learn more about the Sacramento tours, which include stops at hot spots such as Der Biergarten and the new Big Stump Brew Co., both in midtown, at www.sacbrewbike.com. Psst, there’s a Reno Brew Bike tour, too.
4 Whole Brew World
Cicerone Jean Calixto’s year-old Whole Brew World runs East Bay craft brewery tours ($69 and up) that take in breweries in Alameda and San Leandro (the Blue Collar Tour), Oakland and Berkeley (Golden West) and Livermore (the Valley tour), as well as custom private tours in Walnut Creek and Concord, San Jose and soon in San Francisco, too. Check out the details at www.wholebrewworld.com.
5 Hop On Beer Tours
Explore the Central Coast’s brewery, winery and distillery scene aboard one of Hop On’s luxe retrofitted buses, which come complete with hardwood floors, leather seats and beer-geek tour guides, ready to offer up an insider peek into San Luis Obispo’s beer scene. The four-hour brewery tours include four brewery stops and can be reserved as a social tour ($35, upcoming dates include Sept. 3, 15 and 30) or a private group tour. Learn more about the brewery tours, as well as the winery and Paso Robles distillery tours, at www.hoponbeertours.com.
