“Great Company! Great beer tours! I’m the owner of one of the craft breweries that NBBT often stops by… I can tell you first hand that not all brewery tours are created equal. These are the good guys… they seem to have happy customers on a consistent basis. They know beer, they know the area, and they know how to put a good tour together. People on their tours always seem to be having a great time.
As for my brewery (shameless plug alert) Third Street Aleworks, we are a small craft brewery currently limited to North Bay distribution- so unless you live or work in the North Bay, you probably haven’t tried our beers. NBBT does a great job exposing people to the big fish and the little fish of the North Bay brewing scene- breweries with national exposure and small local breweries like us- and that’s awesome esp for beer aficionados looking for brews they maybe can’t find at home… Keep up the good work!”

“Had such an amazing Saturday spent with a good friend touring some awesome breweries and sampling some delicious beers! Our tour guide Ron was super informative and had some great stories to share with all of us! I’d definitely recommend this tour for anyone who loves beer!

Sampled beers at Lagunitas, where we also had a scrumptious lunch provided to us, HopMonk and Third Street Aleworks. I like any “event” I can drink while someone else is driving hahah  ”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday funday! … Ron was a great host. We were running late because of traffic, I end up meeting the group at our first stop and left my car there. At the end, they dropped us off to our vehicle. But if I wasn’t sober enough to drive from the brewery tour, they offered to take my bf and I to downtown Petaluma to sober up.

The day included three stops: Lagunitas, Bear Republic, and Third Street Aleworks. The tour included a great lunch from the Lagunitas’ kitchen.

My bf and I had a great time. If possible, we highly recommend a private booking and gather a group of your buddies for a drinking madness! They provide bottled water on the shuttle and you can buy a six-pack from your first stop and drink them along the way!”

“Had a wonderful day on this tour. The guide was super knowledgeable about brewing/beer (my husband home brews, so I’m no stranger to the process). They basically took about 15 people and drove us around to one brewery and two other restaurant/bar/brew shops … They also served lunch which was off a menu–not expecting that! I’d do this tour again in a heartbeat!”

“This tour is fantastic! The three stops that we made, along with our tour guide’s insight (James), made this a great overview of what is going on in the craft brew world in Sonoma County.

We were picked up on a very rainy day in Rohnert Park, CA at 11am after spending the night in Occidental, CA. Then traveled down to Petaluma, CA where the rest of the tour takers joined us.

1st stop, Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma, CA –  My boyfriend is not a huge Lagunitas IPA fan but both of us were looking forward to the behind the scenes brewery tour here. We were taken up to the “Taproom and Beer Sanctuary” where we sampled the brews currently on tap. The room is just hilarious, the staff even more hilarious. We were brought up to speed on the history of the company, where they are presently, and their expansion plans through a series of very funny stories, some typical Northern California 420 friendly tales, and personal experiences of the staff. Many of the beers we sampled are not bottled or they are sold in very limited quantities, while we found many of these much more interesting than the staple IPA, we could not believe how much better it tastes when it is that FRESH. We were provided a fantastic lunch in the taproom and then headed into the brewery to see the brewing in action. This was a wonderful place to begin as it really gives you an overview of how much craft beer is taking off right now. Lagunitas has expanded over 60% in the past year and they don’t spend a dime on advertising! (We have all been very thirsty for great beer in this country.) By the end of the tour you are a little tired of looking at steel tanks and thirsty for more beer! Perfect.

2nd stop, Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol, CA – After finishing up at Lagunitas we enjoyed a rainy drive through the Sonoma County country side to Hopmonk in Sebastopol. I had stopped here one time about two years ago, very late at night on my way back home to the central valley. It was honestly just a rest room stop but we felt obligated to get a drink and I think I asked for a Coors Light. I immediately thought the bartender hated me… Now I know why. In addition to having a selection of their own beers here, they have an excellent variety of infamous and up and coming brew selections from throughout Sonoma County.  These included Pliny the Elder (a double IPA) from Russian River and Death and Taxes (a black lager) by Moonlight Brewing, plus much more. We sampled one of the Hopmonk beers and the above two mentioned in the tavern’s wonderful outdoor area (yes, even on a rainy day… it was covered). James, our tour guide, came to each of our tables and brought out his “home brew” kit and gave us the basics on brewing beer. (And when I say basics, it was much more in depth than what we heard at Lagunitas). We got to know all our tour mates while we tried our samples and then went on to purchase other brews we felt like drinking.

3rd stop, 3rd Street Ale Works in Santa Rosa, CA – Our final stop was at this little hot spot in downtown Santa Rosa. This place may be easily missed by people visiting from out of town as it is not as famous as it’s neighbor Russian River Brewery, right around the corner, so it was great to be taken to this local gem. We were taken to the 2nd floor of Ale Works where I was thoroughly impressed by the decor and huge TVs in the place. I would highly recommend this place to anyone interested in catching the game while enjoying some brews (PS I don’t remember seeing any TVs in Russian River..). The Bombay Rouge was certainly my favorite here, the best Red IPA I have ever had by far, and worth making the trip for. We had the opportunity to sample the oatmeal stout, the red IPA, and the puddle jumper pale ale. After our tasting the general manager came up and offered us a discount on all the beers we purchased that day. Yes! So I stocked up on some bottles of the Bombay Rouge.

We made our exit around 5:30 pm and headed back to our pick up locations. Such a great way to spend the afternoon! James provided several suggestions throughout the tour of other breweries worth checking out if we were staying in the area. I believe that this was worth every penny and will highly recommend it to any beer lovers! My boyfriend and I left wondering how they manage to even make money, considering bus maintenance, gas, the driver, the guide, insurance, lunch, and any tasting fees they pay. So that thought made us appreciate it even more. 

Make a date of it and stay the night in the area! Sonoma County craft beer is the best!”

“We had so much fun on Saturday. You and James did great with the whole experience! I will definitely recommend you guys and hopefully do it again.”

“Not many regions in the US can compare to the craft brewery legacy that the SF Bay area boasts. With that said, if you are looking to try as many of these wonderful beers as you can, this is probably the best way to do it. North Bay Brewery Tours provides a bus tour of 3-4 brewpubs over a 5 hour span. We went to Bear Republic, 3rd street Aleworks and Hop Monk Tavern but the locations vary apparently on availability.

The tour is run by two brothers. Both are clearly knowledgable about the arts and sciences that go into making beer. Even with their expansive knowledge, they are very friendly to beer-beginners and are happy to answer any questions and make the experience a pleasant one. They are also very professional.

There are two pickups on the tour, one in Petaluma and another in Rohnert Park. The bus sits about 10-12 people, who are eager to learn and just as friendly as the staff. They have a kegerator on the bus that keeps you buzzed in between breweries and also free water bottles to keep you hydrated. At each stop, they do a good job of mixing up the beer selection and even take requests. Clearly, they are on good terms with the breweries as they take you behind-the-scenes where the magic happens. This provides a great learning experience even though you’ll likely forget everything due to the great beer you’ll be drinking.

I have long been a fan of good beer but this tour caters not only to the connisseur but anyone who can appreciate something more than a Budweiser. Freindliness, customer service and a quality product is what earns this tour 5 stars for me. Have fun and drink responsibly. Cheers!”

“Had a great time yesterday.  The entire day was very enjoyable.  The three breweries/brewpubs were a great representation of the brewers art in Northern California.  I think that when 14 strangers are thrown together and they emerge at the end of the day as buddies, it had to have been good!  Thanks for the great day!”

“Great way to experience great micro breweries local and have fun meeting new people from all over. Designated driver and a comfortable bus to ride on. Lunch at Lagunitas Brewery and tours of breweries.
Great tour guides and drivers, come and enjoy what I have and not have a worry about driving or parking.
great way to go.”

“What a great day!

Today my boyfriend and I went on the North Bay Brewery Tour. Three stops: Lagunitas, Bear Republic, and Third Street Aleworks

Lagunitas was amazing! Tastings were awesome and the explanation of beers and information from the tour guide was great. I’m not a beer connoisseur by any means, so maybe the information was simple–but I found it helpful and interesting. The lunch was delicious and the brewery tour was AWESOME. I was thoroughly impressed and Lagunitas in general was amazing. Who doesn’t love a brew room filled with couches, foosball, random paraphernalia, and the leg lamp from A Christmas Story? And the actually beer brewing info was phenomenal.”

“Overall, we had a fabulous time.”

“Absolutely fabulous … This tour was not exactly what I expected- it was better.”

“James was fabulous- he knew when to talk, and when to let us enjoy ourselves. We were lucky that our group wasn’t too rowdy. Mostly couples and friends so they were all fun to talk to and not just there to get drunk. Not that we all didn’t get a little tipsy!!!  I highly recommend this for a day of fun for 2 or a group out celebrating.
Thanks for a wonderful Saturday!!!”

“James was awesome. He was knowledgeable and knew when to talk and when to just let us enjoy the beer, environments and our own converstions.”

“As one reviewer stated, you are on this tour with others. We had a great group and the converstation flowed. Never a dull moment!  When you are with others you don’t know it is up to you to make it enjoyable.

Our tour started at 11am and we didn’t return until 6pm! It appeared as if everyone had a great time 

Overall – The tour in unpretentious, relaxed and very enjoyable. I would and will take the tour again! Hopefull hit other breweries like Hopmonk and Stumptown.

James  - Thanks for a great beer drinking time!”

“If you like delicious beer, an eclectic group of people, and going with the flow (of beer), then this is a trip you should take.”

“Special thanks to James for keeping us in order and guaranteeing a fantabulopus time.  Special thanks to Jennie for driving us cheerfully along.  And special thanks to Austin for his website design.”

“A lot of fun tasting beer at 4 different places …

-Small group, nice ppl, great guide -James and nice small bus and nice driver - Jeany.

Good beer, nice 5 hours or so spent in great company 

Definitely recommend North Bay Brewery Tours, worth the time and money!”

“This is what fun day Sunday’s is all about.  If you are a craft brew beer lover this is the tour for you.  My bf and I had a fantastic time sampling all the brews we possibly could and also enjoyed all the info our tour guy, James, provided us with.  We had ALOT of questions, all of which he was able to answer. He shared his stories and his own home brewing experiences with us.  He was super cool and personal, and if he wasn’t our tour guide, I would have offered to buy him a round.  They also provide a pony keg on the bus, which you can nurse your buzz with while on the road …  Well folks, do yourself a favor and book a tour and enjoy some lovely delicious craft brews.  Happy drinking, Cheers!”

“This tour was absolutely worth the money!  Our host, James, knew the best Lagunitas stories and really made sure that everyone had a good time.  The driver allowed us to bring our own coolers on board and even let us pour our own beers in between brewery stops!   James arranged a special tour of the brewhouse at Lagunitas and our group of 12 guests was the perfect size for moving around those areas not normally open to the general public.

We made stops at Lagunitas, The Beverage People homebrew store, Bear Republic, Third Street Aleworks and Russian River Brewery.  I can’t wait to see which breweries get added next!

My favorite beer was poured at the Beverage People – jasmine/green tea brew and a special black pepper ale.”

“I had a blast on this tour. We toured not one but two breweries and learned all kinds of interesting information about the creation of some of my favorite beers. All the while, we were provided with a ton of complimentary booze. I’d do this again in a heartbeat.”

“This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. My fiance and I took the tour with two friends, and everyone had a great time … And the tour guide does a great job of bringing a casual, fun vibe to the group so you get to meet new people.”

“This was SUCH a fun time! My friends and I have lots of memories for years to come. I know a lot of them are planning their own tours and want to do it again very soon. Thank you again for making this so easy to plan and made it a ton of fun!!”

”Had a blast on this tour.  Similar to a winery tour, but with amazing brews. We went to multiple breweries and the Beverage People to get a well rounded day including tasting amazing beers, learning the brewing process, and meeting some great new friends. I felt this tour exceeded my expectations and we were given star treatment.  If you love good brews and like learning about beer, this is the tour for you. I will definitely do this tour again.”

”We had a great time, even though I am not a beer drinker!!  James was a fabulous host”