Holy stroke of genius! Why didn't I think of this? Crap. It was my friend's 28th birthday and she was growing tired of the same ol club scene. Honestly, me too. I was thinking about blowing her off if she was going to tell me to meet her at a club, possibly would have flipped out on her. Luckily, she saved herself by finding this cool idea. So she purchased tickets and rounded up the troops. Some of us were beer aficionados, some not. Never fret, they had something for everyone. There is this cool party bus that seats about 14 and they play cool music. They were setting the stage perfectly for a Brew Bus tour. The tour began at Goose Island where we met Kevin and Chris. Two of the most beer educated and friendly guys you could ever meet. It was so refreshing to see the founders of that company taking time out to run the tour and interact with patrons of Chicago Brew Bus Tours. I can only wish for that type of customer service in other places. The Brew Bus took us to Moonshine and Haymarket. We had the pleasure to take tours of the various brewing facilities and how each special blend is made. It's really awesome to drink the actual beer as you see it being made; you appreciate beer that much more. The facilities the beer was being made was so advanced and complex...I am glad I left it to the Brew Bus staff to school me on it whilst I drank. The best part of the tours was the tastings afterwards. I have been to wine tours before and had little sips of wines here and there. This was totally different. LOTS of BEER, FREQUENTLY. I like the words beer and frequently in the same sentence. Sounds good, aye? The Brew bus tour is genius because you can still keep your friends together without having to worry about designated drivers and such. Chicago Brew Bus takes care of it all. In Summary, Awesome trip, awesome owners/tour guides, cool bus, cool music, great tasting beer, and memories with friends that will last a lifetime. My friends and I are already recommending this place to others and I extend that to you. You will have a ball. I came out of that tour knowing much more about crafting brews and loving beer even though I wasn't too much of a beer gal. The tickets are super reasonable which is a godsend in this town. Well worth the money for the good times alone. Can't wait to do it again with a different set of friends. Cheers Chicago Brew Bus! read more

My boyfriend and I did this tour last weekend, and it was fantastic. We were on a tour with a group of 12 friends, and we had an absolute blast. We started at Goose Island, then went to Haymarke Brewery next and ended at Moonshine. Each place was unique and fun in its own way. And the quality of beer at each was top-notch..or so my boyfriend said. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but even I found a few that I truly enjoyed (the pumpkin ale at Goose Island, for one). The tour guides also set me up with a beer cocktail and a mojito, free of charge, knowing I wasn't a huge fan of beer. The tour guides couldn't have been nicer. They were incredibly friendly and laid-back, and had a significant amount of knowledge about beer. They shared some history of Chicago brewing in between breweries. Fun facts - not boring babble. We toured the brewing process at Haymarket and also ordered food there. But even if you don't to get food, they stock the bus with chips so you can refuel in beween stops. Awesome. I HIGHLY recommend this tour. It's fun to do as a couple or with a group of friends. We ended up meeting some pretty awesome people in the process, too, which is always fun in a big city. This tour has everything you want, and nothing you don't. We even stayed an extra hour at the last place, since we were the last tour of the day, and wanted to order more the beers we sampled. DO THIS TOUR! read more

As the manager of one of Chef Rick Bayless' restaurants, I have to teach a beer class to the staff of all three restaurants every year. This year we planned a visit to 5 Rabbit Brewery as part of that class. It almost didn't happen due to transportation issues, but then these guys got involved. Big thank you to Chicago Brew Bus. They made it all happen professionally and it was so much fun. Some of our group are already making plans to use the Brew Bus again. I know that the next time our restaurant staff visits a brewery, we will definitely be going with the Brew Bus! read more

Chicago Brew Bus - Frontera Grill staff took Chicago Brew Bus down to 5 Rabbit Brewery - Tours Near Me

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I'm on a Yelp updating roll lately! After not hearing back from this company about using them for my wedding day I tasked my fiance with booking a different limo service. He found a Groupon or something and found a place that would give us a limo for the day (it was only about a month away). At 6pm on the day of the booking, this limo company called him and took down his credit card info. At 7pm that day I was contacted by the Chicago Brew Bus company saying they were so sorry about missing my emails. They offered to let me use them for free if we hadn't already made other arrangements. We were able to get out of the other reservations and the Brew Bus was extremely responsive and generous with us about making the arrangements. I was able to get in touch directly with the driver so that we could discuss routes for picture taking and everything seemed to be in order. The day before my wedding (after not being able to pick up my dress, another review altogether) I got an email that the bus I was supposed to be using was actually in the shop. After hyperventilating for a minute I read the entire email and discovered that they had made arrangements for a bigger, better bus at another company for my use. Now, the driving around on the big day didn't go perfectly since he didn't know my route, but that isn't their fault. The point is, the Chicago Brew Bus company stepped up, went above and beyond to make a bride happy, and have earned a customer for life. I had no plans to book a party bus for anything in the future, but now I'll make the point to do so just so that I can show them my true appreciation for what they did for me. read more

This is such a fun way to spend your afternoon! Nick is so great and we had a BLAST!! We went with 3 other couples and had the greatest time. You get to sample plenty of beers at all three breweries and they are all very different and a good time! I definitely recommend the Chicago Brew Bus!!! You even get to drink on the bus. This is great for bday parties and bachelor/ette parties too! read more

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This tour was a blast from start to finish! I was in Chicago from NYC, visiting friends Labor Day weekend and came across this tour. I had some time to myself so I signed up, thinking it would be a fun way to learn about the Chicago craft beer scene, see more of Chicago and meet some cool people. All 3 things were accomplished! I met my other tour takers at Haymarket - a nice combo of locals and out-of-towners; and after our first beer flight, it was like we knew each other for years. Along with meeting the group, I met the ultimate in tour guides - Nik. He is serious about his beer and his city. He is personable, funny and full of information. Along with the tour, I learned he is also part of Chicago Beer Geeks and has a podcast called Chicago Beer Pass. His passion comes through 100%. You could tell he cares about this world and he really makes you feel a part of it. The group hit 3 locations - Haymarket, Lake Effects (where we met its brewer, Clint) and Arrogant Frog. Nik took us through all the beers, explaining the differences, history of the locations, etc. Did I mention Nik is a great tour guide? Well, he is. The Chicago Brew Bus is a great few hours spent learning about Chicago, drinking some really great local beer and meeting new people. I highly recommend you get on the bus! read more

The tour as excellent. Nik was extremely knowledge and informative. The experience wss quite fun and well worth the money. My only complaint would be with the coordinator (Kevin, I believe) and management side of things. I tried to book online but the site wasn't working. I phoned and left a message requesting a call back. They replied back via text, "buy tickets of our website". I finally got the site to work but had questions about where to meet, so texted (the number they texted me from) again but they never answered. If you don't want to answer texts, don't initiate them with your customers. read more

Had such an awesome time on this tour. Kevin was very helpful with planning and was an awesome host/drinking partner. Nick & johnny the driver were also a great addition to the experience. I recommend this to anyone who wants to have an awesome time. Kevin thanks again for everything (especially the irish prayer bottle opener you freely gave to my bf) he LOVES it. We will def be seeing you guys again! read more

Chicago Brew Bus - Nick & Kevin of Chicago Brew Bus! - Tours Near Me

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What an incredibly fun way to spend a Saturday evening!! Kevin is so helpful and so much fun!! Nik is a GREAT guide too! This was my second time on the tour and I'd definitely do it again! read more

Chicago Brew Bus - Us girls starting the tour with Kevin! - Tours Near Me

I booked a tour on the Brew Bus this past Saturday for my boyfriend and myself and we had a wonderful time! First off, Kevin and Chris are FANTASTIC and so accommodating! My boyfriend was driving in from St. Louis the Friday before (when Chicago was receiving 3-6inches of snow) and I wasn't sure when/if he was going to make it in or if we'd be able to make our 11:30am tour on Saturday. I called Kevin, he called and emailed me back, assuring me that I could reschedule the tour or get a full refund, no problem, if he didn't make it up. Luckily we made the tour and met up with the group on Saturday at Goose Island. As a group, we all picked the first four beers we would be tasting. Such an amazing selection! My boyfriend is quite a beer connoisseur, and one of the tastings even moved into his top 10! From there, we boarded the brew bus to be greeted by Jonathon, the driver, free shots of honey rum, and some pretzels to soak up those first few tastings. Then on to Haymarket Brewery! There, we received 4 more samples and a tour of their brewing facilities which was incredibly interesting. Many of us also ordered some food/appetizers at Haymarket which was all wonderful. The last stop of the day was at Moonshine Brewing Company. With 6 more samples, we were beginning to feel pretty good, but still able to appreciate the quality, flavors and distinct experiences each brewery and beer had to offer. All in all, this was well worth the money, a great tour and I highly recommend this to anyone looking to experiences some local Chicago breweries with the added benefit of the great tour guide and craft beer knowledge that Kevin and Chris provide! read more

Me and my husband were spending 4 of July with friends from Chicago. I don't drink at all and I got the news that she book us a brewing tour. I was kind of skeptical about it, but as soon as we got in the bus, it was soo much fun! Nick was our "tour guy". Everybody had a great energy and the Bluetooth on the bus it's definitely a plus! I will definitely do it again next time that I'm in Chicago! read more

Chicago Brew Bus - Brew tour bus - Tours Near Me

Had an AWESOME time on the bus. We were in town for my boys bachelor party and decided to do this. The staff was super cool and Kevin the tour guide knew a bunch of good storys about the bars and stuff in town. We were feelin rough after a long night before and showed up like 30 minutes late but they had beers waiting for us when we walked in the door. All the other people on the bus were real cool and everybody had a great time. For sure got our moneys worth of beer and good times, I definitly recommend it Jake read more

Great tour, a lot of fun and very informative. Plus, you get to drink a lot of beer. Couple of suggestions for the guys running it: 1. It seemed a little dis-organized at times. Maybe give us a schedule so we know what to expect and maybe a summary up front on where and when we should order food and such. And I'm not even really sure who was in charge since we had five different people involved at different times. 2. Our tour lasted about 5 hours which felt about 2 hours too long to me. We were slow to start and the second stop at Rock Bottom lasted way too long. Plus, the beer at Rock Bottom really isn't very good in my opinion (maybe that's why it felt so long). Overall it's a great idea and we had a blast. Your two experts who came along with us were very good and really knew what they were talking about. read more

We had fantastic time. We experienced 14 different craft beer through 3 different local breweries. Fun fun fun!

Awesome idea! The tour of local breweries was amazing.... Kevin and Chris made the experience a great time....I highly reccomend this trip to everybody.....You do not have to be a heavy beer drinker to enjoy.....I plan on taking the trip again in the fall!!! read more

What a concept, get loaded and learn a thing or two about Micro Brews. This is the only way to see Chicago! Man, this guide really did his homework and knows a lot of $#!t about BEER! read more

Absolute blast! thanks so much for entertaining us on our rides. I don't know what was more fun, the bus rides or the tastings.

I went on this because (I suspect like most new businesses) a friend of a friend knows Chris, who is one of the tour guides. I'm really glad I went, and I'm sure that this tour is going to grow quickly. The day starts out at Goose Island, but you quickly pack up to Moonshine (not my favorite), and get with one of their eight beer sampler flights (they're wee beers, probably about the size of orange juice you'd give a little kid). Then the bus takes you to Haymarket, which is an awesome bar with a really enthusiastic brewmaster (and sweet potato tatertots-if you order them when you come in the door you'll have plenty of time to enjoy them before you leave), and another six beers. The ride home to Goose Island is pretty darn enjoyable, and the history given by Kevin has a nice smattering of enthusiastic Chicago pride and enough random tidbits thrown in to keep you interested. There's another flight waiting for you at Goose, where you can sit around and sober up before taking yourself home (hopefully by public transit)(or calling your Mom to come pick you up). I'd recommend this for any group of people, or just a way to get to see Chicago on a weekend day. read more

This was great! My dad was in town visiting for my birthday and I was looking for something fun for us to do together. We went to 3 spots Goose Island, Haymarket and Moonshine. I found a new spot that I'd love to go back to Haymarket in West Loop. The beer was delicious, the breweries super fun & Kevins information was educational and fun to listen to! read more

My boyfriend out tickets for this for my birthday... and I'm sure glad he did! I had an absolute blast! Kevin was out tour guide and we went to Goose Island, Haymarket, and Moon Shine Brew Pubs for some beer tasting. Kevin was really funny and chill yet so knowledgable about the Craft Beer Industry! My boyfriend and him got along great and he was a pleasure to be around! All three places were cool to go to and experience first hand. I had a great time and have already recommended this beer tour to my family and friends! read more

This was so much fun, the guys who run this are hilarious and helpful. The tour guide Nik rocks, he helped us start our bachelorette party off in a great way. The bars, Lagunitas, Motor Row, and Haymarket were all super. I hope to convince my boss to do this for our holiday party this next year. read more

This is an awesome tour! A must do when in Chicago! We did the Brew Bus tour last Sunday and it was definitely a great experience. Kevin was so welcoming, informative, and a great beer drinking buddy. You start at Goose Island, where the brews are unique and go down smooth (but, wait, they get harsher along the way). Then make your way to Haymarket Brewery, where the Riot Burger is a must! The staff at Haymarket is so knowledgeable and definitely has a love of great craft brews! The brewery tour is certainly an added bonus. You will leave knowing more about beer than you did when you walked in the door. Definitely a cool experience. Last stop is Moonshine. Quite frankly, this one was a blur. Just kept on drinking. Cool vibe. Much like a laid back lounge. With its over-sized couches and eclectic clientele. A good finale to the tour. Thank goodness for the transportation of the Brew Bus. Made the ride a smooth one. Check out this tour when you're in the City--you won't regret it! read more

I booked this tour for my boyfriend's 30th birthday and we had a blast. I emailed the company and got a quick response regarding setting up reservations from Kevin. We had a group of 16 with our party and they were very accommodating. The tour guide we had was named Nik and he was great. He even let me decorate the bus with a birthday banner before everyone boarded. The driver played CDs that we had burned which made everyone happy. Before we got to our second stop Nik even had everyone sing to my boyfriend for his birthday, which he loved! The beer selections gave a great sampling of all types of beer and we had plenty of time at each stop to enjoy the beer. I would highly recommend this tour for beer drinks and enthusiasts. It is a great way to see the city and enjoy some drinks along the way! read more

We rented the bus for my friend's 30th bday; Nik was awesome, we had an awesome tour and an amazing time thanks!!

These guys are fantastic. I ended up doing this for my birthday and I had a real good time. Kevin and Chris are great guys and are super down to earth. They know a lot about beer and can answer a lot of questions, but aren't snobby about it at all. These guys just love beer. They also give you lots of time to interact with other people on the tour, rather than just talking at you the entire time. It was more interactive and fun this way. You can buy a Chicago Brew Bus growler (64 oz refillable to go bottle) and have it filled at any of the breweries you go to. Pretty cool souvenir, one that's full of beer! read more

A large group of my friends ranging from 32-41 years old went on the brew bus last night. Jonathan was our driver. Nick was our guide. We started at Goose Island, then went to Haymarket, Moonshine and back to Goose Island. The bus ride was a lot of fun and we met some fun people on the tour. A good time was had by all. Because the tour ended at 7, we continued the good time at Goose Island. Everyone wants to do tour again. read more

Awesome time! Great yelp recommendation. If you have the time and like beer- a must!

Kevin was incredibly helpful in setting up a gift certificate for my sister even customizing the ticket to include her name and for a guest. He was quick to respond and overall very friendly! read more

Nik was great. Super friendly, wrangled all the bar tenders at the breweries to make sure our group was taken care of. He was very knowledgeable about the breweries too. If you're looking for a fun time drinking craft beers with friends, this is the way to go. Plus you can drink on the bus. Ball so damn hard. read more

Really is not a tour of a brewery. It is a beer tasting tour at 3 local breweries. Only after we protested did we get to actually see the brewing process at the last of the 3 bars, however, the brewer was not even there. read more

I bought tickets for myself, my husband, my brother-in-law, and his girlfriend for my husband's 31st birthday. Kevin was SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL in helping me plan which day/time to get our tickets. He really went above and beyond for us, and was extremely prompt in replying to my emails/phone calls/text messages (I was getting married that weekend as well, so was kind of in Bridezilla mode). We met at Goose Island Brewery, where we sampled a few different types of beer, then got on the bus where we had more beer and snacks before arriving at Haymarket Brewery. Staff showed us through the brewery, and we sampled more beer - also, the food here was delicious (try the sweet potato tots - you'll be glad you did)! We boarded the Brew Bus again, where we indulged even more on our way to our final destination. I don't even remember the name of that last place, because I was pretty drunk. There were probably 14 of us, and by the end of the tour it was like we all knew each other! It was a great time, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys drinking beer. I am not even a beer drinker, and I had a great time! read more

I rented the Chicago Brew Bus for a Bachelorette party. I needed transportation for 11 girls, at an affordable price, and for us to be able to stand inside & do "Dares", but I couldn't afford a party bus. Thank goodness I found the Chicago Brew Bus!!! They were VERY accommodating & affordable! Kevin, the owner, even let me check out their bus before I committed to renting it out. He even followed up on me the next day & inquired how our night turned out. Jonathan, the driver, picked us up early & even put up bachelorette-themed decor! He was the perfect gentleman--- very patient, fun, friendly, and on-point with whatever activities that my party was doing. He even had suggestions for perfect photo ops in downtown. He was the driver, DJ, tour guide, all around awesome guy! I highly recommend the Chicago Brew Bus for any event--- whether or not you're just renting out their bus or going for their tour. With much gratitude to Kevin & Jonathan for their great service, Mae read more

So you decide to comment on my review by cutting and pasting parts of our email conversation to try to prove me wrong? I, in fact, told you TWICE in the emails that I was looking to do your tour the first weekend of October. That's not specific enough for you? Supplying me with 3 breweries on Saturday and 3 breweries on Sunday is too much of a burden? You just further solidified my decision to not give my money to a business run by a bunch of clowns. Next time you have a thought on how to handle criticism, let someone else proofread it, lest you look like a complete ass. read more

My husband and two friends went on the brew bus last night and had a blast. The trip exceeding our expectations. We visited 3 different locations and each place was awesome. Kevin and Roman were great hosts and by the end of the night everyone was friends. If you want to have a great night, meet new friends and check out local breweries then this is the tour for you. My husband and I are already planning on taking my mom and her husband when they visit us this winter. read more

I surprised my boyfriend with a Brew Tour with a group of friends. We had a blast! The locations are cool local spots most of which we hadn't heard of before. The beer was awesome. Tour guide was friendly, funny and well-versed in all things beer. I definitely recommend this tour! read more

Great concept and breweries, but not too comfortable on a normally hot day without air conditioning. The high temp that day was about 82 and the a/c was broken so they rigged a fan to a cooler which did little. Small windows at the top of the bus were closed and it was cooler outside. Beer and heat are not a good combo. read more

This business model is the best idea ever. SO much fun. Our homebrew club went on a spin through a bunch of suburban breweries with Chicago Brew Bus and had a blast. Highly reccommended! read more

My wife and I scheduled this tour for our last day in Chicago. What a great way to relax and try some new beers. We were toured around by the owner, Chris. He provided us with information about the beers we were tasting, and he seemed truly interested in which ones were the most popular. We went to three different breweries, with each one being about 10 minutes apart by the bus. The tour had specially set up tables for us at each location, and they were ready with our samples upon arrival. All included, we tasted about 14 different beers. If you were ambitious, you had some time to order another one at a couple of the locations. The final brewery we visited had actually only been open about 3 weeks, and they had arranged for a tour of the brewery. While we ran out of time and had to skip the tour at the final location, this was a nice add. From talking with the owners, this company has only been going for about a year, but they are doing a great job and pass along their enjoyment for trying new brews. This is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon to get you ready for a night out on the town. read more