How many times have you, while imbibing at one of the many local breweries, wished there was some way to visit another brewery and then another and another, all in the same day, without having to worry about getting arrested for driving under the influence of copious amounts of craft beer? Quite often, you say?
Well, Gut Check has discovered a solution: STL Brewery Hop. With a van and a plan, STL Brewery Hop operates on a simple, yet powerful premise -- they will drive you and your friends around town on a tour of local breweries. Having just kicked off their inaugural tour, the Brewery Hop operates each weekend: a three-brewery, four-hour tour on Saturday ($40.00), and a two-brewery, three-hour tour on Sunday ($30.00). Both days include a tasting glass, 5-7 oz. sample at each brewery, a behind-the-scenes look at each stop, and a free food buffet upon return.
Upon learning of this new service, Gut Check jumped at the chance to grab a spot on the bus, a twenty-seat beast that owner and mastermind behind the Brewery Hop, Lindsey Schaefer, bought on Craigslist. Schaefer explains that she'd been toying with the idea of starting up some kind of brewery tour since moving back to St. Louis three years ago. "After talking about it so much," she says, "I finally said, 'All right, let's do this.'" After experiencing the beer culture of New Orleans and Denver, Schaefer believes that St. Louis is poised for a craft beer boom and wants to be a part of it. "The community is so supportive, it's been awesome."
First stop: Maplewood.
