The Hop Harvest Beer Tour on Aug. 27 will be based out of Grand Rapids, while the Sept. 3 tour will be based out of Kalamazoo. The tours will escort groups to Hop Head Farms, a 30acre farm in Hickory Corners outside of Kalamazoo that provides hops for breweries all over the country, as well as internationally. Several Michigan breweries will provide samples of their beer using hops from Hop Head Farms to be tasted as part of the unique tour of the hop fields and processing equipment.
“What we work for all year comes down to these few short weeks. Very few people who aren’t in the brewing industry get to see and smell the action of harvest. There is nothing like it. Jeff (Steinman) and the crew really have the whole process down to an art. I love to get to share a piece of this special (and crazy) time with the groups from West Michigan Beer Tours, and highlight how Michigan hops are being used by brewers today,” cofounder Bonnie Steinman.
After farm visit, the bus will visit breweries that work close with Hop Head Farms Founders Brewing Co. and Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro (Aug. 27) and Territorial Brewing Co. and Tibbs Brewing Co. (Sept. 3), respectively.
Tickets for the tour are on sale now. They start at $75 and includes samples or a pint at each location. Premium tickets are also available for both tours. For more information, go to www.westmichiganbeertours.com/tour.
August 27
- Origination: jdek at JW Marriott Grand Rapids, noon1 p.m.
- Stop 1: Hop Head Farms, samples, tour, 23:30 p.m.
- Stop 2: Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro, pint/samples, tour, 45 p.m.
- Stop 3: Founders Brewing Co., tour, pint, 67:30 p.m.
- Termination: JW Marriott, 7:45 p.m.
September 3
- Origination: Shakespeare’s Pub, noon1 p.m.
- Stop 1: Hop Head Farms, samples, tour, 1:303 p.m.
- Stop 2: Territorial Brewing Co., meetandgreet, samples, 3:304:30 p.m.
- Stop 3: Tibbs Brewing Co., tour, samples or pint, 56 p.m.
- Termination: Shakespeare’s Pub, 6:15 p.m.
