By Trent Modglin

Chicagoland Brews Cruise
331-551-3510
Chicagoland@BrewsCruise.com
BrewsCruise.com/Chicagoland

The basics: Chicagoland Brews Cruise provides driving public tours, as well as customized private and corporate tours, that introduce guests to the local craft beverage community with stops at three locations.

Learning curve: Tour guides and the staff at the various breweries create an informational and educational experience to help you learn more about the beer, wine and distilled beverages. The all-inclusive excursion includes samples of some of the best craft beverages being made right here in the city and suburbs, and provides guests with a personalized experience at each stop.

The best three adjectives we can use to describe this tour are fun, relaxing and informative. … And don’t forget the generous flight pours too. You definitely won’t be going home thirsty.

Our experience: Earlier this summer, Illinois Brewing took the “Best of the West” tour that included stops at Noon Whistle Brewing in Lombard, Alter Brewing in Downers Grove and Whiskey Hill Brewing Company in Westmont. The best three adjectives we can use to describe this tour are fun, relaxing and informative.

The guides were personable and funny, firing trivia questions our way and giving us some background information on each brewery prior to arrival, and employees from each brewery were engaging and available to answer any questions we had. Tasty snacks and bottles of water were a nice little bonus on the shuttle bus. And don’t forget the generous flight pours too. You won’t be going home thirsty, we can guarantee you that.

Illinois Brewing sat down with Chicagoland Brews Cruise owner Kirk Kilker for a bit more background on the business.

Q: What led you to partner with Brews Cruise, Inc. and launch this venture?

A: An unexpected opportunity for early retirement started my search for how I can turn my love of craft beer into a fun hobby business. I had taken a craft brewery tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan a few years back, which had peaked my interest. I debated starting an enterprise on my own, and then stumbled across Brews Cruise, Inc. and their search for a business owner in the Chicago area. We had a few conversations, I was impressed with their success in a few major beer cities, and soon signed an agreement to bring Brews Cruise to Chicago.

“There are a number of reasons to love this job, from meeting so many great people on the tours, to providing a fun and educational experience, to continuing my own craft beer education…” — Owner and tour guide Kirk Kilker

Q: What’s your favorite aspect of serving as a tour guide?

A: I am not sure I can pick a favorite. There are a number of reasons to love this job, from meeting so many great people on the tours, to providing a fun and educational experience, to continuing my own craft beer education, and for the opportunity to build relationships with the fantastic people within the craft beer industry. All are perks of the tour guide role.

Q: How would you describe the craft brewery scene in Illinois? Which are routinely the most fun to visit?

A: It is such a vibrant scene here with so many talented brewers. We have more breweries than any other city, and it continues to expand. The breweries work together as a team to promote the industry. They have each other’s backs, which is so refreshing compared to the competitive industries I’ve been around in the past.

I am so grateful for the breweries who have partnered with me from the very beginning, working to help promote and provide an amazing experience for our guests: Noon Whistle, Alter, Whiskey Hill, Obscurity and Brother Chimp to name a few. There are so many others as well. I can’t name them all here.

Q: Do you have ideas on any expansion that you can share?

A: Not at the moment. We have some popular tours we keep on the calendar, and we are constantly rotating in new locations with new partners. We know by our reviews we are providing an enjoyable experience, but we are still in the phase of getting the word out on our public and private tours to see our guest numbers increase before we expand. We definitely have a lot of ideas and suggestions. There are a lot more breweries out there we’d love to partner with as we move forward.