Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
St. Louis
With a “new world meets old world” philosophy, Urban Chestnut strives to provide top-notch German artisan beers that reflect the “revolution” of American craft beers, with “reverence” to the product’s European heritage. One of the most popular beers in the Revolution line is the Winged Nut, a nutty ale brewed with finely milled chestnuts, and in the Reverence series, many people gravitate toward Zwickle, a vitamin-rich German lager that won gold in the 2015 World Beer Championship.
Visitors can take the self-guided tour that follows 10 stops in the Bierhall, Fermentation Hall and Packaging Hall, or participate in the complimentary group tour and tasting offered on Saturday mornings. The group tour accommodates up to 12 people.
Urban Chestnut’s three locations also offer a variety of German cuisine, including chicken and dumplings with mushrooms, rotisserie chicken, liege waffles and German pork sandwiches.
Johnson City Brewing Company
Johnson City, Tennessee
Based in the heart of historic Johnson City, Johnson City Brewing constantly experiments with new fusion recipes, with a unique focus on storytelling. Channeling the idea that beer culture centers on great conversations and memories, each beer comes with a brief description about the history of its namesake.
The brewery offers something to satisfy everyone’s palate. Some popular beers are the award-winning Apple of My Rye, Perfect Tennessee Blonde Ale, J-Town Brown Ale and Little Chicago Stout.
Designated drivers can sip a glass of nonalcoholic, homemade sarsaparilla, while those with other drink preferences can take advantage of one of the guest taps, like Ace Pineapple Cider or Rain Dancer Dry Cider. A few seasonal offerings are Blackberry Pie and Oak-Toberfest, which is whiskey-barrel-aged Oktoberfest.
Virginia Brewery Tours
Richmond, Virginia
The Virginia Brewery Tours take groups on an exclusive journey to some of the best craft beer in the state. Groups can choose from one of four available tours that each feature a different beer theme, currently Pale Ale, Pilsner, Lager and Imperial. Led by a trained guide, guests learn about Virginia’s craft beer history and culture as they enjoy tasting flights at three local breweries, with at least one facility tour.
Tours may be customized to the interests of a group so that each experience is unique and engaging for all the guests. Tour vehicles can hold anywhere from two to 55 people, and groups are welcome to schedule private tours for parties or corporate team-building events.
Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company
Lewisburg, West Virginia
With the slogan “Get Out, Explore, Bring Beer,” Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company inspires a sense of adventure, with each beer named after a West Virginian myth or legend. The company uses first-rate grains and hops from England, Germany and the Pacific Northwest.
Some of these daring drinks are the Wild Trails mix of mango, tangerine and pine; the Devil Anse IPA, a yellow ale with an exotic balance of citrus and tropical fruit; and the Mothman Black IPA, which carries floral and citrus flavors with hints of roasted toffee and chocolate.
The first Saturday of every month, the brewery offers food, specialty drinks and live music, along with games like Jenga, Wii, chess, cornhole, foosball and checkers. Groups of all ages are welcome to join. Greenbrier Valley also features monthly movie showings on a projection screen; past films have included “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.”
Tours are $8 per person and by appointment only.
