Brewery Tours

Northeast Ohio has more than 50 breweries, according to an article I read recently. I’ve never counted them, but that total seems accurate.

Whether you visit one of these establishments or buy your brews from a store shelf, you’ll find a wealth of local beers. You might be content just to drink some of your favorites, but there are also opportunities to learn about how they’re made.

Three local breweries offer public tours for a nominal fee. Tickets that include sample tastes cost more than designated-driver tickets. You can book a guided tour at Great Lakes Brewing Co., Market Garden Brewery or Saucy Brew Works most weekends. All three have tours on Fridays and Saturdays. Market Garden Brewery has tours on Sundays too.  

Saucy Brew Works has the highest-priced tour. A $15 ticket includes the guided tour and a flight of selected core and seasonal beers. A designated-driver ticket is $5. There are three time slots on Fridays and four on Saturdays.

Great Lakes tours are $6 (plus a $1.36 fee) for drinkers and $3 (plus a $1.19 fee) for nondrinkers. The $6 ticket includes four 5-ounce beer samples. Tours are scheduled on the hour between noon and 8 p.m.

Market Garden guided-tour tickets are $8 and include three beer samples at the production facility and a token for a beer at the Market Garden brewpub, Nano Brew Cleveland, or Bier Markt & Bar Cento. Tour are at 4 and 5 p.m. on Fridays and on the hour between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Self-guided tours are offered Monday through Friday for $6. That price also includes the three samples and the beer token. There is no tour price listed for a nondrinker. Tour reservations are taken at 216-373-0700.

Some other local brewpubs offer free self-guided “tours,” essentially meaning patrons can look at the beer-making equipment on site. There also are companies that offer packages that include multi-brewery guided tours, but the prices are beyond CLE on the Cheap’s budget.