Great Trips... Made Better With Beer!
Welcome to Beer Trips
Welcome
If you are reading this, you and I have a couple significant things in common... a desire to see the world and a love of great BEER.
Oh, some people may roll their eyes or point a finger, but we know better!
Beer, I have been known to say on occasion, is pretty much at the root of all things. That's right, I said it... all things. Perhaps not directly at the root, but Beer and its "cohorts" -- grain, fermentation, water, and time -- have played huge roles in human history. Now some of these references are debatable, but you can find beer at many a histoical crossroads, from ancient Sumer to modern Portland. Big things happened because of beer. Agrarian civilization, the Code of Laws, Surviving the Plague, Cultivating Yeast, Plymouth Rock, Keg Parties. Okay... but beer has palyed a pretty big role in European and Western culture for thousands of years.
And I would happily tell you - over a beer or two in a cosy Brussels cafe, Czech pub, or Kolsch Knippe - that beer provides an excellent avenue into European history and current day culture.
Whether you are a seasoned traveler or first timer, a BeerTrip offers exclusive access and a unique view into the history and culture of the world's great beer destinations. Great Trips... Made Better with BEER!
I hope you can take a BeerTrip soon!
Cheers,
Mike Saxton |Owner & Founder
Introduction of Beer Travel
At BeerTrips.com we believe that travel is akin to freedom, so our trips feature relaxed itineraries that allow plenty of time for exploration on your own. If you are going to travel across an ocean, the last thing you want is to be shuffled about trying to keep up with a packed itinerary.
Our trips are balanced to offer the right amounts of recreation, exploration, and even education. We build free time into each trip and encourage you to pursue your own interests. We hope that you will join all the planned events and excursions, but if you would rather do your own thing, that's no problem (as long as you don't miss the bus). We will never forget that this your vacation, we just want to expose you to great beer and the interesting aspects that go into making it. Our goal is to make sure you have a great BeerTrip!
In general our trips are informal and casual. If you require guidance and planned activity for every moment of your trip or like all you excursions to involve structured tours, our trips are probably not for you.
All of our trips feature Beer Experts from various areas of the beer industry.
Brewmasters, Beer Writers, and homebrewers provide the insight and extra information that makes great beer all the more interesting. Their knowledge of beer and well-trained palate help us discover the tantalizing variety of flavors and characteristics of the world' great beers.
Trip Leaders and Local Guides
Provide travel assistance, and suggestions for free time and non-beer excursions. Our trip leaders and beer experts offer the knowledge and support to make sure you experience everything, beer or otherwise, a destination has to offer.
Our trips are limited to 8 - 15 participants
In order to insure that nobody gets lost in the crowd. We think this is far superior to the groups of 25 - 40 that we see while abroad. Small groups make the price a little higher, but we feel it makes the trips work.
Who travels with us?
When you join a BeerTrips tour, it is a pretty safe bet that the people on the trip will share your love of great beer. Our travelers are a lot like the folks you might meet at your favorite brew pub or home brewing club meeting. Most have more than a passing interest in beer; and with 10 -15 people ordering and tasting different beers, you'll find that you can sample dozens more beers in a beer group than you would traveling on your own.
Don't worry if you are not a beer expert
or brewer though, we have had non-beer people "dragged along" with a beer loving friend or spouse only to discover that the trip and the beer were much better and much more interesting than they originally thought.
The places we travel to offer much more than just great beer. The cities we visit are rich in history, continental and local, and the architecture, streets, churches, gardens and public spaces reflect the best of centuries of competing cultures.
Our travelers pursue countless other interests
beyond beer - photography, rail travel, art, music, architecture and food (to name a few) also occupy the time of our travelers.
Wanna meet the locals?
Find the local brewery tap, beer garden, corner pub, or beer cafe, pull up a stool, and order a good beer. Locals are generally pretty pleased to meet those of us who wander-lust-for-beer...
Interested in European history?
Learn about Royal decrees & the right to brew, trade routes & gruit laws, Patron Saints and Monastic History, Artistic Movements & the Crusades. Discover which brew kettles became bullets in WWI & WWII.
You like architecture?
Check out the elegant simplicity of the Victorian tower brewery or solemn beauty of a Trappist Abbey Brewhouse. Wander UNESCO cities offering up centuries of architectural innovation. Sit in centuries old pubs and art deco cafes, drinking it all in.
Are you a foodie?
Indulge in Cuisine a la Biere. Dabble in Czech dumplings and goulasch. Frites anyone? Anti-pasti del Mare? Weisswurst and Hefe-weizen for breakfast? The culture of beer and the culture of food inextricably linked -- eat, drink and be merry (for tomorrow we do it again!)
However you like to travel, our trips serve up the best that small group travel has to offer:
like-minded groups
beer-centric, custom-built itineraries
free time to explore on your own
hand-picked local guides
insider brewery visits
tried and true hotels and restaurants
experienced trip leadership
comfortable private transportation