Y'all. I don't even like beer. I purchased a non-drinking ticket. And I loved everything about my experience with Craft Connection and I cannot recommend enough. I did a private tour with Craft Connection for the bachelorette party for my soon to be sister-in-law. I wasn't looking forward to the experience at all because 1) I don't drink, 2) I'm an introvert, and 3) the only people I would know going into this experience were my sister and the bride-to-be. I truly expected this to be the worst way to spend a Saturday night, not to mention, the price for the non-drinker like myself was still expensive at $35. I was in for a pleasant surprise. Our tour guide John arrived right on time at our starting point, came into the house, had us all sign a waiver, and put us on the bus. The bus comfortably sat all 12 of us with a couple of open seats. John explained the rules of the bus: most of the rules would not be strictly enforced with the exception of one - absolutely no Justin Bieber songs were to be played. Inside the bus was a cooler with little water bottles (help yourself!) and also served as the place to put any beer brought on board. Pro-tip: If you're into that kind of thing, bringing beer onboard the bus is highly encouraged to keep the party going. There was also a small cabinet on the bus with snacks inside (again, help yourself!) but another pro-tip is to bring snacks along because there will be a lot of beer consumed and you will definitely want some food on your stomach. On each of the seats was a green cup, which was to serve as our beer cup at each of the three breweries we were about to visit. Before we left for our first destination, John appointed a DJ and had her connect her phone to the bluetooth to have some tunes for the ride. Our three destinations were Blank Slate, 50 West, and Rheingeist. At each of the breweries, John picked the first 3 beers based on what he likes, what is easy to drink, what the brewery is known for, or based on what he thinks the group collectively will like. The first three beers are presented in a pitcher, and John pour for everyone and gives a brief explanation of the chosen beer and the flavors you will taste. At each location we were also treated to a brief behind the scenes experience where we learned a little bit about the brewing process. We were also given plenty of time at each brewery to sit and socialize and enjoy the flavors of the beers. The fourth beer was chosen by someone in the group and filled into a growler, to be consumed on the bus on the way to the next stop. PLEASE do not forget to bring your ID - some of the breweries might require photo ID to enter (I'm looking at you Rheingeist) and if you don't show your ID you aren't allowed to drink inside the brewery. At the end of the tour, the bus will drop you off at whatever location you choose: back home where the party started or at a separate location to keep the party going. I cannot say enough good things about John. He was filled to the brim with personality and extremely quick witted. I was also impressed with his vast knowledge of beer, in general, as well as the brewing processes. I might have learned a thing or two from him. John treated all of us as old friends and was participating in all of the festivities, including a super hilarious bachelorette party game. I'm pretty sure he had as much fun as our group did! read more

We had the best time on our brewery tour! Our driver Dan was so awesome and made it such a fun, memorable experience. Booking was a breeze and the price point is fantastic for everything you get on your tour. They'll even pick up or drop off anywhere you'd like which is so convenient for larger groups like ours. We tried booking with Cincy Brew Bus initially but it was horrible, way more expensive and the person I emailed was not very friendly or helpful. They also canceled our reservation less than a month away from our party because they "couldn't find us a driver". Don't waste your time with them, go straight to Craft Connection, they're amazing! read more

Craft Connection Brewery Tours - Having a blast for my sister's bachelorette party, eating pizza on the way home! - Beer Tours Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We had the best time with Dan from Craft Connections!! We highly recommend this for all groups. We thoroughly enjoyed our tastings and appreciated Dan being so accommodating to our group with a variety of tastes! We for sure will be back!!! read more

Beer. Bus. Guided Tour. Extreme Fun. Whaaaaat!?! We did this tour on a Thursday evening and we visited three local breweries - Moerlein Tap Room, Listerman and Rhinegeist. Seriously, this was the best local tour I have ever been on. I highly suggest you check out Ben and the guys at Craft Connection they are amazing! I went with my boyfriend and his two brothers, we met down at Half Cut then boarded the bus for the tour. I learned so much, not only from Ben, but from all staff and brew masters at each of our stops. We tasted so many different beers along the way - and in case you are wondering....there is plenty of beer, and by plenty, I mean they pour from pitchers. I suggest a DD - which was me - I only got to sip along the way, so I want to do this again, when I can fully participate in the experience. You have to check out Craft Connection, serious fun combined with learning about beer, who can ask for more :-) (Even though we did this tour a while back, I still had to write my review to rave about the experience) read more

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I was really looking forward to my tour at the end of April that I scheduled back in January. Unfortunately, they cancelled the morning of due to a sick driver. I didn't get the email because I wasn't checking my email until I was standing on the sidewalk looking for the bus. Fortunately, they refunded our tickets in a timely manner and were very sincere. They offered to let us go on the 5pm tour but we were already a little tipsy from brunch at Nation (where the meeting spot is), and the breweries were not ones we were interested in. I am looking forward to rebooking but I'm also weary that it will happen again. Maybe get some back up drivers? Even though I didn't get to actually go on the tour, their customer service was top quality. Giving them 4 stars because I have heard great things and I am sure that my next go will be a success. read more

We booked a private tour for 9 people to celebrate a 30th birthday and Ben could not have made it easier for us. He went above and beyond to help plan a great afternoon at 50 West, Braxton, and Urban Artifact. You're provided a link for each person to pay in advance and the $55 price tag includes snacks, coolers, bottled water, koozies, options to play your own music on the trip, brewery tours, and several beer samples at each stop. Our tour guide, Dan, was very accommodating and informative and was a good sport with all of our middle school throwback jams on the bus! I would definitely recommend reserving a bus for your next company outing, birthday party, bachelorette party, or a fun Saturday afternoon exploring local brews! read more

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Overall, I would say the tour was good. We went to Brewpourium, Braxton and Bircus as was recommended to us upon booking. My two concerns were that the driver was late according to the schedule I was sent, so we were waiting in the rain for the twenty minutes early we were supposed to be there and an additional five minutes from the time it was supposed to start. I think Brewpourium was cool. We did not have a ton of time there even though I did opt for the longer tour. The beer was great and our tour guide picked some fun ones for us to taste. The venue was unique and I enjoyed going behind the scenes to see their beer making process. The next stop was Bircus and man was this a disappointment. It was interesting to see the plan for the venue but after all the hype, there were no bartender tricks or any sort of entertainment. The beer selection was limited. We did try an interesting habanero beer but that was the highlight of that experience. Braxton had a nice selection of beer. I would have liked to try ones other than what the guide served us. While she asked us previously on our thoughts, she did not here. Also, I had to go find her when we wanted refills because she was talking to another guide. Not a big deal, but did take away from some of the time we had. I think we should have probably opted for other places than what was suggested but since I am not from the area, I left it up to their call. I would probably recommend opting for other breweries. Ultimately, I feel like the experience was okay. It provided a way from my friends and I to get to some breweries and see some behind the scenes. The price tag is a bit high but for it you get driven to the breweries and about four half pitchers per place to split among the group. I do appreciate that they were able to pick us up at our hotel for the private tour, but I likely should have opted for the public tour since we had to pay for ten even though we were short a couple. I might recommend this if you have a half day in Cincinnati and would like to see a few breweries and are not looking to drive there. read more

This was pretty fun. Our tour guide was a good time and we were with four other people. The only problem was the rest of the people on our tour didn't like any of the beers our guide was selecting so they would take a sip and let us drink the rest. We got way too drink and it really wasn't worth it. The beers weren't great. We went to new riff distillery which was good. Braxton labs which was also good. Wooden cask was nice but the beer wasn't great. And lastly Braxton was just ok. I would go again but we went from 1130-530 when we were suppose to be done at 330. I woke up at 1030 pm hungover so maybe it would be better to go later in the day. read more

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Lot of fun. Joey and Dan were great. We enjoyed it. Highly recommended for exploring craft beer scene

My friends and I were looking for something fun to do - without any special occasion - and landed on a brew bus. There are a few different brew bus companies in Cincinnati, but I truly believe Craft Connection is the best. They were extremely accommodating to our large party (22 people) and even let us book two buses. We reserved the bus a month and a half in advance, which gave us plenty of time to nail down the specifics. My favorite part of the whole planning was despite the fact I planned the event, I didn't actually have to front any of the cost. They provided a unique URL for all my friends to register and pay individually. Plus, they only required everyone to be paid 10 days prior to the event. AWESOME! They also let us select where we wanted to be picked up from, which three breweries we wanted to visit, and where we wanted to be dropped off. They provide a plastic souvenir cup to use at each brewery - where they give you 4 tastings. When we asked our tour guide how they select which beers we try, he said they always ask the brewery what is fresh, and then try to provide a full spectrum (something from a light lager all the way to a heavy porter). The bus experience was super fun too! They have an aux cord to plug in your own music and throw your own dance party in transit. They provided a cooler full of water and a cubby full of snacks - plus you can bring your own beer for an in-betweener! I would definitely recommend Craft Connection to anyone looking for something fun to do while exploring the amazing brewery culture in Cincinnati! read more

Did this tour as a gift to my father-in-law for his birthday! What a great present for someone who has everything except great knowledge of Breweries in Cincinnati area. Ben was our tour guide and the owner of Craft Connection Brew Tours. University of Dayton graduate who started a great business which I hope he will have continued success in! My Dad LOVED the tour! We visited 4 local brewers and it was nice that we didn't have to drive considering we were drinking and sampling for 4 hours straight. It's not like its a drunk fest. You go to learn about craft beer and how its made and the different types of beer and what makes it different. Only bad part was, not much food is available for purchase along the way. Ben provided snacks for his 16 passengers (normally suppose to be 14). Some places did provide chips but I suggest going on a very full stomach. Overall this birthday present was a huge success so thanks to Craft Connection! My hat's off to you! read more

My wife arranged a Saturday night at four breweries for our group of friends to celebrate my birthday - The experience couldn't have been any better. Starting off we were able to arrange door to door service from our home in Mason and were able to accommodate 14 people, removing the need to get downtown individually. The bus and our guide, Dan, were both great. The ride was comfortable with easy access to food, drinks, and music through the whole 4-5 hour night!! We will be back to check out a few more breweries on the list for sure. In the end the experience was not only a great way to spend time with a large group of friends, but also a great way to get backstage access to the best breweries that the city has to offer. Also, don't forget that there is no waiting in overcrowded lines when you are with Craft Connections, your guide heads right to the front every time - making great use of time at every stop!! Thanks for a great night! read more

We booked from Florida... not knowing what was in store. Our driver, Alec was the greatest!!!! We enjoyed every stop. I felt like Alec was a best friend. He was down to earth. Now the people who joined us..... wait for it .... we had the best time!!!!! Definitely recommend this to anyone in the area. Especially if you're visiting from out of town. read more

Our guide, Marisa, was educational, entertaining, and tolerant of our shenanigans. Highly recommended. Only complaint is that she didn't honk the horn on the bus while we were singing ignition (remix). read more

We did a tour as a part of a bachelor party, and it was an amazing time. Our guide had a great bus, nice and clean and a cooler well stocked with cold water to help us hydrate between sites as we tried a multitude of fine craft brews. Dan, our guide was knowledgeable about all the places we went, and had great suggestions of things to try. He was friendly and chatted with us, and had good instincts on when to fade out when we were taking pictures and such. Can honestly say, this totally exceeded my expectations, everyone had a phenomenal time, and this will be my first thought in the future when gathering a group of people who want to do a fun outing. read more

We recently went on the Craft Connection tour for a work team building activity. We had a fantastic time and the guides (Llz and Ben) were great! It was nice to hear the history behind craft brewing and local breweries. Ben was full of knowledge! My only suggestion would have been to see more around each brewery. However, I think the group overall had a blast! read more

We had a great time on our Brewery tour. John Funcheon was very knowledgeable and considerate of our time. The bus ride itself was very comfortable. We went to Blank slate, 50 West and Mt. Caramel, we liked the behind the scenes on each stop and most of the beers. Not waiting in line for the different options was even better! Will def go again! read more

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Ben was a rockstar, super agile to our requests and really made the day. Helped us along the way to get a understanding of the brewery process while being limited in what we could do as a result of Covid restrictions. He made some great beer selections that were a hit for the group! read more

Great time! Bachelor party on the night of Riverfest (Sunday) & things went on without a hitch. I definitely recommend Craft Connection. The breweries visited were great and the tour guide / driver knew his stuff. read more

We booked a private tour on December 10th. Booking the tour was really easy and Ben checked in through the whole process. Because we did a private tour we could choose our pick-up location. This was nice because we could hit up Listermann before and after. We went to Mt Carmel, Blank Slate and Braxton. At each stop Dan, our fabulous tour guide, made sure each person had beer they liked. We enjoyed ourselves on the bus and liked that we could eat and drink on the bus. Thanks for making our 5th anniversary special. read more

Superior everything!!!! After debating which brew bus company to go with, I ultimately chose Craft Connection, and I didn't regret my decision one bit. I wanted to surprise my husband with an afternoon birthday party on the bus, and Craft Connection helped to make it a wonderful day! I emailed with Ben for several weeks prior to our reservation, and he was so helpful. He arranged a custom tour for us on a Saturday afternoon, where the bus picked us (and 10 other friends) up and dropped us off at our house in the suburbs. We were allowed to bring our own food and beer on the bus, and I chose the breweries that we visited. We went with Urban Artifact, Braxton, and Blank Slate, and it was awesome. Our tour guide/driver, Dan, was friendly, knowledgable, and just an overall fun guy to be around. It was a great day of drinking, socializing, and learning a little bit more about a few of the beer offerings in our city. We all loved it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Loved the cups we got to keep as souvenirs! Thanks, Craft Connection, for making such a special event a great memory! read more

Just finished our first Craft Connection brewery tour and had a blast. We had a big enough group to book two buses (16+) and picked a 3.5 hr tour with own brewery choices (Listermann, Blank Slate & Rivertown). We picked CC for a few reasons - we could drink on the bus, ticket price included beer tastings at each place, allowed us to pick our own stops and in bus hospitality (bottled water and snacks). The ticket for 3.5 hrs was $55/person. Ben made it super easy to set up from my end as the organizer and everyone could pay online individually. Our tour guides were awesome! Definitely request Dan and Megan if you can. They totally understood that we wanted a Sunday funday with some beer education thrown in. We are already talking about our next tour in February! read more

So much fun, great experience with the family! Highly recommend the 3.5 hr tour, Johny Tsunami did an awesome job! Visited 3 breweries, Listermanns, Urban Artfifact, and Rheingist. read more

Worth every penny! We went to blank slate, listermann, and Rhinegeist. We had been to rhinegeist before but not the other two. Beer wise blank slate was our favorite (besides rhinegeist) I also loved that we did tours of the actual brewery's. Our guide Ben was very nice and knowledgeable. This would make a great gift for someone! read more

I've never left a review before and never thought I would. But this was just too awesome not to. Ben was our tour and he is the man. If you're a beer person, do it. read more

My husband and I had a BLAST on a craft connection tour on Saturday afternoon!! Our driver was nice, knowledgable and accommodating throughout the tour. As you board the bus, you are equipped with a tasting cup which is constantly filled with a variety of local beers for you to try. If you're looking for something fun and different to do in the Cincy/NKY area, I highly recommend trying a craft connection tour! read more

Our group went for a Bachelorette Party and it was a blast! Thanks Josh for being a great tour guide! We definitely recommend!

Did a Craft Connection Brew tour and was one of the best experiences I have had with my family! Great communication with the owner in order to set up a private tour with the specific breweries that we wanted. Ben allowed us to bring our own snacks on our bus which helped keep us full for the 4 hour tour! Ben was the driver and tour guide and had great knowledge about each brewery that we went to. Was a little bit pricey because we were a private tour, but was well worth it because of how much fun we had! We were able to talk and stay in our group and the beer was brought to us which was the best part, no waiting in long lines! With a group of 8 we were able to do our own thing with out it being too structured. Would definitely recommend this brew tour to anyone and will be doing it again myself in the future! read more

This is the second time that we've taken a group of friends on a Craft Connection guided tour. Our guides name was John, and the experience could not have been any better. John's knowledge and interest for brewing made this enjoyable for everyone. We stopped at Blank Slate, Fifty West, and Ei8htball. Couldn't have asked for anything more to make this a better time. We are already planning our next trip and will be requesting John again! read more

We took a tour this past Saturday with Dan for a Bachlorette party and it was more than we ever anticipated! First off, Dan made our experience so much fun on and off the bus! On the bus, we were able to jam out to our favorite toons and he even supplied some dance moves. Then at each stop, he greeted us with a few different pitchers of delicious craft beer. Coming from someone who doesn't typically like craft beer, I couldn't believe how much I love all the different options and found myself struggling to drink "water beer" later that night. We were able to take a few special tours of the breweries and learn how the process is done but it didn't interfere with our main focus--drinking! We saw some other tours while we were out and I have to say, we seemed to be having way more fun than the rest! If you are debating between this one and another, definitely choose this tour, you won't regret it! read more

Craft Connection Brewery Tours - Beer Tours Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We took a 3 brewery private tour for my dad's birthday and we had an awesome time! Our tour guide/driver was very fun and knowledgable. The 3 tours we did were very different and each very interesting. We learned a ton about beer and the history of each building. I would recommend Craft Connection to anyone who likes beer, likes Cincy and it's history and the old buildings, or anyone who just wants to have a good time family/friends. read more

We did a private brewery tour for my husband's surprise birthday party! Our hosts were fantastic and we had a great time! They were very knowledgeable and entertaining. We had people come in from out of town and it was a great way to spend time together with friends, while doing something fun. We tried out three breweries we had never been to before and everyone had a great time and learned something new. We had wine available for the non-beer drinkers as well. There was something for everyone to enjoy and I cannot recommend it enough! Ben did a great job setting up the tour and was very helpful with the planning. This crew is very professional and knows their stuff! Best in class experience! Craft Connection is the way to go! read more

BEST $50 I'VE EVER SPENT! I booked this tour to celebrate my graduation from University of Cincinnati. My parents and I had limited time in town and wanted to see as much of the craft beer scene as possible- this tour did not disappoint! We had a great time exploring (and sampling!) 3 unique breweries while letting loose and laughing with the other patrons. Our driver/tour guide extraordinaire, Dave, was super knowledgable about all of the stops and selected the perfect soundtrack for our adventure. Our group never stopped singing, sharing stories, and having fun! We haven't stopped reminiscing about this experience. Thanks, Craft Connection! WELL DONE! read more

Was in a group of 22 people and we used two busses. We sampled around 12 beers total from 3 breweries, a good tour at each, with a very good variety. Very fun group activity and highly recommended. read more

We have tried other brewery touring companies in the area and enjoyed this one the most. I liked being able to schedule a private tour and pick the breweries. Our tour guide/host/driver Joey was very knowledgeable and provided some great insight into the brewing operation, history and product. I would recommend making the 4-stop tours about 5 hours long instead of 4. 4 isn't quite enough time to enjoy each stop. Also would have preferred being given a flight of beer at each location instead of a sampling from a few pitchers. Otherwise, it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends and family while learning about the area's rich brewery tradition. I would recommend it and plan on being a repeat customer. read more

Best time 'eva!!! Shout out to Ben for making my brother-in-law's 50th "brew-day" party super fun!! We had a group of (9) and ventured out on May 5th for the 3-Hour; Rhinegeist, Urban Artifact, Christian Moerlein "Beer Fest 50" tour. We had our own playlist which Ben hooked into the bus sound system and it was AWESOME!! All my brother-in-law's favorite songs, drinks on the bus (and waters thankfully) along with our Grippo's salty snacks, including in-depth conversations with beer practitioners, back-ground history around Cinci beer, and all the technology and caring that goes into manufacturing quality products right here in town, well, it just doesn't get any better than that. Thank you Ben and thank you Craft Connection for providing such a fun experience!! read more

We had a great time with our group of 14 people. We had ample time at each brewery (Urban Artifact, Rhinegeist, and Christian Moerlein). Our guide (Josh) was easy to get along with, fun, and knew what he was talking about! Some of the group had previously been on a Craft Connection Brewery Tour and continued having a ton of fun! This is a great way to get a group of friends together. You get to enjoy different types of beers and learn a thing or two! Highly recommend and we sign up again in the future! :) read more

Did a Craft Connection tour on Sunday 6/28/2015 and it was one of the best tours and things to do in Cincinnati. We booked a private tour and hit up 4 breweries of 4.5 hours with Dave as our tour guide and driver. Honestly couldn't have asked for anything better. We all had such a good time. The other tour company looked to be a bit more structured with flights and explanations while the Craft Connection ordered pitchers of each breweries best beers and made it more of a party, which is exactly what we wanted. Would recommend this tour to anyone. read more

This was our first brew tour. And it was well worth the wait! Our driver took us on some behind the scene tours in between our 3 tastings of beer at each stop. It was a great idea to eat a big meal a few hours before the trip. Be sure to drink tons of water at the breweries from their water stations....it will help you get through all the tastings without falling over. I definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants to get an up close encounter at the Cincinnati breweries. read more

We had a company event and had the Craft Connection Brew Tours as our first night out. We had a great time and learned a lot. Our tour guides were informative, helpful and most of all, lots of fun!! Would definitely recommend this tour to other companies and groups. read more