Chicago has a legendary history of brewing great beer. For nearly two centuries, brewers have been producing beer for sale in the windy city…and well beyond.
These days, over 200 craft brewers continue the tradition by creating a large number of classic and modern beers in downtown Chicago and the suburbs.
Let Chicagoland Brews Cruise show you why Chicago has become an incredible beer destination by introducing you to the amazing craft beverages being made in Chicago and the surrounding area.
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Come along on this generous and exciting Brewery Excursion! See what the excitement is all about with the Craft Beer scene in this area. Your ticket includes plenty of beer samples and a personalized experience at each brewery.
- Ages 21+ Ages Ages 21+
See what the excitement is all about with the Craft Beer scene in this area! Your ticket includes plenty of beer samples and a personalized experience at each brewery. The tour starts and ends at the Aurora Metra Train Station 415 North Broadway in Aurora, next door to Two Brothers Roundhouse Brewery which you can visit before or after the tour.
- Ages 21+ Ages Ages 21+
PRIVATE AND CORPORATE TOURS
Take your group on board the Chicagoland Brews Cruise and let our local experts show you around.Â
Your specialized tour could visit local sites for everyone to participate in fun activities. It could incorporate a round of golf, a visit to a historical site, live music, and many more options.
With these private tours, we can be flexible on start times and pick-up and drop-off locations.
Let us know about any specific places that your group would like to visit. We will do our best to accommodate them on your private tour. We love trying to make the impossible possible! Learn more…
ABOUT CHICAGOLAND BREWS CRUISE
My name is Kirk. I am a craft beer enthusiast from Batavia, IL who is passionate about the talented brewers and the success of the growing brewing industry in the Chicagoland area and across the Midwest.Â
After years spent in the corporate world, I have decided to leave that behind and partner with the Brews Cruise group to pursue my passion.Â
My vision is to help establish the Chicagoland area as a recognized destination for great craft beer.Â
Cheers!
Tour Partners
What do people think about Chicagoland Brews Cruise?
We booked for a birthday party event. Kirk was easy to work with scheduling and accommodating us non beer drinkers! Got to experience Auqaviva, whiskey acres and obscurity. The ride to each venue was fun! Full of facts and trivia. My whole group thoroughly enjoyed Kirk and his wife Kathy. I will definitely book again with them 😊 thanks again!!
– Alissa R. | Google
Thank you so much, Kirk, for making this very special trip -- The Best of the West -- happen while we were in Chicago for a conference. It was a real highlight for us, everyone was so accommodating, and that neon green hazy NEIPA is definitely something we will never forget!
– Chris P. | Google
Had a great time on the Best of the West tour! Each brewery gave generous samples and a personalized experience discussing their brewing process and beers. Even got a behind the scenes tour! Kirk made the ride to each stop entertaining with some beer history and trivia. Perfect outing idea if you have some friends that want to get together and enjoy some great beer.
– Allison K.. | Google
We received a Groupon for this event so we picked the Sunday Countryside. Very easy to meet up, hop on the bus, and get seated. The guides were so nice and accommodating, kind and knowledgeable! They even did a little trivia on the bus ride to make the ride more smooth. A bonus they had water and pretzels for the in between rides, and our ticket included tips at the locations too. We will be back to experience the other routes!
– Amy M. | Google
I booked Brews Cruise for a private outing and everyone had a great time! Kirk led the tour and he was extremely knowledgeable, interactive, and helpful to answer random beer/brewery questions. They take care of everything and coordinate with each brewery ahead of time so we were immediately seated at our own table with flights ready to be served. The Wrigleyville tour is a great way to experience Chicago and Chicago beer. Thanks Brews Cruise!
– Jill A. | Google
We booked it for a bachelorette party and we all had a blast! Krik was such a great guide, making the trip very enjoyable. He was able to accommodate the whole party and I could not recommend this tour more! The breweries were wonderful and they were all set up and ready for us. Will deficiently be booking again with him!
– Rachel R. | Google
I booked the "Best of the West" tour in the western suburbs for a bachelor party and can say it was a blast! Kirk and his wife were great, accommodating, and set up a very nice experience and ride. Would recommend!
– Matthew B. | Tripadvisor
A more than fun afternoon! We scheduled and went on the Best of the West Brewery Excursion - Lombard. We met up with Kirk, our guide and an amazing craft beer enthusiast, at Noon Whistle Brewing where we had our first flight of the tour! Kirk is not only knowledgeable, he is fun, engaging and insightful. Our last stop on the tour was Whiskey Hill Brewery where Head Brewer, Eric Flores, hand picked and served us a 4 beer flight and then joined us to share about the beers and the brewery! We look forward to our next tour with Kirk and Chicagoland Brews Cruise! Cheers!
– Mary Kay S. | Facebook
Wonderful tasting experience of a winery, brewery and distillery! Great way to celebrate with a special group of friends!
– Jennifer S. | Google
We went on the Best of the West tour for a bachelorette party in September and had a great time. Kirk was very accommodating and made sure everyone had a great time. We really enjoyed all the breweries, where they gave us the perfect combination of information on the beer (with heavy pours) and time to ourselves. I would highly recommend for any small get-together! Thanks Kirk!
– Jamie S. | Tripadvisor
We loved learning about a local distillery, a brewery and winery with yummy tastings. The party bus was safe and comfortable! What a wonderful way to catch up with friends & celebrate Halloween!
– L4104QGjennifers | Tripadvisor
What better way to experience a sampling of craft breweries in your area than a guided tour? My beer friends and I had been talking about this concept for quite a while. Thanks to Kirk and his team it’s here. The Chicagoland Brews Cruise team are knowledgeable and well-organized making for a smooth trip. At each stop, you’ll learn something and get to sample some great beer from the local breweries. We did the Best of the West tour starting at Noon Whistle before moving on to Alter, and finally Skeleton Key in Woodridge. What a blast! All had a good sampling of their different types of beer. Emily at Skeleton Key was awesome in explaining the brewing process including sampling of hops (smashing and smelling) and malts. Very fun and educational. We will definitely be back for another tour.
– Dave H. | Google
What a great tour idea! All the drinking without worrying about driving. I attended the Sunday Afternoon Countryside Cruise and we had a great time! Kirk was a great host and the drive to and from sites was entertaining and enjoyable. The three stops we made provided just the right amount of samples and we had enough time to enjoy our time at each stop. Would recommend!
– Itsslaurenj | Tripadvisor
All the drinking without worrying about driving. I attended the Sunday Afternoon Countryside Cruise and we had a great time! Kirk was a great host and the drive to and from sites was entertaining and enjoyable. The three stops we made provided just the right amount of samples and we had enough time to enjoy our time at each stop. Would recommend!
– Lauren S. | Google
We recently had the opportunity to do the Beer Ye, Beer Ye tour with Chicagoland Brews Cruise and had a great time. Kirk and his team did a great job of organizing the 3 hour tour and making if fun for all. The breweries were educational, friendly and very engaging with all of our questions & very generous with the tastings!!! The company was awesome and the beer was very enjoyable. IF you have the chance, book a tour soon and have a great time with friends and family.
– Glenn S. | Tripadvisor
Great way to spend an afternoon with friends and enjoy some brews. Highly recommended!
– Justin M. | Facebook
What a wonderful afternoon we had!! We boarded our van and headed out to three different breweries in the Batavia, North Aurora area. At each of the breweries we were met by the brewers to share with us the brewing process at one, their sustainability at another and how all their brews have come to be at another. Information, flights and most of all a great time to relax and have a blast with friends!! Our tour guide Todd was very knowledgeable and fun and three cheers for our bus driver Melissa. Please don't hesitate to get a group together and enjoy what the area has to offer. You won't regret it.
– ricoswifeChannahon | Tripadvisor
Kirk is one of the most knowledgeable people I know about craft beer. So his insights are valuable. The tour was so much fun with a bit of Trivia and local history of the area thrown in as we walked from brewery to brewery. The owner at D&G told us a great story of how he got started and how beer is made And had great beers to taste. The 2nd brewery, Pollyanna, gave us an exclusive taste of a first batch that they had just created. And we ended at Alter brewing which had 4 more great beers to taste. Great Tour and I totally recommend it. Fun 3 hrs.
– Jon G. | Tripadvisor
What a great way to spend an afternoon with friends or clients. Kirk has set up a first-rate touring company of local breweries. Not only did we get to sample some great beer, we met with owners and staff to gain insight into their vision and passion for their products. During the tour, Kirk provided us with local history and relevant trivia which really helped the group to share and connect. If you've never been on one, Chicagoland Brews Cruise is for you. Kirk is great to work with and can customize the tour for your varied needs. I can't wait to invite friends and clients out for a Brews Cruise this summer!
– Lance C. | Tripadvisor