When it comes to breweries you’ll find craft beer fans are broken into two categories. The kind that love the small hole in the walls and those that want a much bigger feel to it. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, the Weyerbacher Brewery is for you. Weyerbacher has somehow managed to get the feel of a small hometown brewery into a facility that is sure to impress.
The first thing you’ll notice when you get to their brewery is the large amount of wooden barrels stacked at least 5 high by 8 rows deep in their parking lot. While this is a great aesthetic addition to the brewery this is not the purpose of these barrels. You can buy them! Yes that’s right, Weyerbacher allows the public to purchase wooden barrels that they themselves have brewed in.
Once you walk into the brewery that is when the real fun starts. The Weyerbacher brewery is set up in a large warehouse. This isn’t some industrial building turned into a business. It feels about as authentic as a brewery should. The main bar is set just a mere 20 feet from their inventory and their inventory is huge. While you sit at the bar you can take in the sights and sounds of an active brewery with a distribution network that spans all over the east coast and into the mid-west. Hundreds (if not thousands) of cases of their beer that is headed to local distributors are shrink wrapped in pallets that surround you. You’re not just at a bar; you’re at the epicenter of Weyerbacher Brewing.
However just because you are in an active brewery doesn’t mean there isn’t room to spread out. If the bar is too packed don’t worry because there is plenty of room to take a seat. There’s roughly 10 high top tables or so that you can sit at. Just walk up to the bar, order your beer and get comfortable at your table. Don’t want to take a seat? Grab your beer and head to their foosball table with some friends.
Taking a tour of the facility is a must for any avid beer fan. You won’t learn any trade secrets, but the tour guide is extremely knowledgeable and will fully explain what makes Weyerbbacher so special. Most tours are run on the weekends with a Friday tour also running at 6:00; they say this is a little less formal than their other tours and usually a smaller group. Since the brewery is still in production at 5:30 on Fridays, the tour has to work around active brewery activities to keep guests safe. So if you want to see what an active brewery looks like, this may be the tour for you. The Saturday tours are at 1, 3 and 5 pm with Sunday tours at 1:30 and 3:30 pm. These tours are usually 15 to 30 minutes long. Grab a beer from the bar and get in line to start the tour, you will be happy you did.
What may be the coolest thing about Weyerbacher is something they aren’t even doing yet. While taking a tour of the brewery the tour guide announced that Weyerbacher is starting a pilot system. Yes you read that correctly, the brewery will soon begin brewing beer as R&D and not just for mass consumption. This pilot system will allow them to begin testing new beers to expand their line. The best part about this? Visitors will soon be allowed to try these R&D beers! Once this pilot system is up and running the brewery will allow the public to indulge in beers that will either be the first of something great to come, or a once in a lifetime drink.
If you’ve enjoyed your time at Weyerbacher you can take more home with you than just your memories. Head to the side wall of their brewery and you will find plenty of items for sale. You can buy clothing, growlers, glasses and even treats for your dog! It’s pretty obvious that Weyerbacher has an appreciation for four legged animals. At their gift shop you can purchase a leash, collar or even dog treats made with local beer grains. They really do have it all. Weyerbacher’s brewery’s greatest asset may be its ability to combine the sights and sounds of a large nationally distributed brewery with a hometown feel. You’re drinking beer in a location that feels like it ships beer all across the world, but has the atmosphere of your neighbors allowing you to try their latest home brew. It’s an inviting atmosphere that’ll leave you wanting to go back over and over again.
