Berlin’s independent brewing scene has exploded in the last five years. Craft beer is fully in vogue. Expats thirsty for the exciting tastes of home and younger Germans keen to push beyond the boundaries of traditional German brewing are the driving forces of change.
This 3-hour tour is designed to introduce you to some of the city’s best craft and independent breweries, and taste a range of both traditional and new-wave beers. Because Berlin’s beer scene is changing so rapidly, the route of this tour does too. We stay at the cutting edge. The locations you visit will depend upon your guide's intuition, the day of the week, the size of your group, and special events that are taking place.
You will visit three locations on the tour, and in each, you will receive a large beer or a set of tasters. Throughout the tour, your professional, local guide – a beer and brewing expert – will also provide some extra beers to taste as a group. The following is a sample itinerary.
First up we visit one of Berlin’s more established microbrewers to sample some traditional, Germanic beer styles, and talk about some beer basics – broad beer history, what beer is, and how it is made. Once our glasses are empty we will head to a more contemporary, German-run brewery to witness how younger German brewers are embracing experimentation and innovation whilst staying true to their roots. Here, we will discuss brewing history and traditions in Germany.
On the way to the third and final location, we’ll make a pit stop at one of Berlin’s late-night institutions: the Spätkauf. Here we’ll grab a beer for the road – one of Berlin’s mass-produced beers, to give you an insight into the more corporate aspects of brewing in the city. Your guide will also explain how expats are influencing Berlin’s craft beer explosion. Beers tasted here will err on the IPA, Pale Ale, and more experimental side of things, and your guide will describe the social and historical factors that have shaped Berlin’s brewing scene into what it is today.
The tour will end at the final location. Your guide will be more than happy to help you find your way back to your hotel, or give you a detailed set of recommendations if you want to do some more exploring on your own.
Please note: this tour requires the use of public transport. We try and keep time spent on public transport to a minimum, but it’s a necessity to reach some of the more cutting edge spots outside the city centre.
