Get On Board With Roanoke’s New Craft Beer Tours

In a matter of a few months, there will be seven craft breweries operating in and around the Roanoke area, six of which have opened in the last year or so. Even without considering the weekly craft beer events at restaurants and bars, the opening of The Barrel Chest, a new beer (and wine) store on Franklin Road, and the addition of at least one new festival at Smith Mountain Lake this year, you’d be hard pressed to argue the growth of the craft beer scene in Roanoke. But just in case you do want to take up that point, Larry Landolt would like to show you otherwise. As a matter of fact, he’ll even drive you to the breweries himself.

Landolt, the founder of “Discover Roanoke Food Tours” will soon be introducing a craft beer tour to his company’s repertoire. Likely beginning in September, up to fourteen craft beer curious folks will board Landolt’s newly acquired tour bus and visit some of the breweries in and around Roanoke, with tastings planned at each stop. After a bit of information about the Star City’s brewing history, each tour group will head out to visit a few of the breweries, with the included locations varying from one tour to another.

So far, Landolt has talked to nearly all of the area breweries and states that everyone has been very receptive. After all, it’s clearly a win-win situation, as Landolt offers the tours to interested patrons, and breweries get to show off their beers to folks who might not otherwise visit the brewery for one reason or another. As with his company’s food tours, he expects that tourists to Roanoke may be interested in finding out just what the area has to offer, beer wise. And with the growing popularity of the “beer-cation”, a planned vacation for the beer curious to areas with solid craft beer cultures, Landolt may begin to see more and more of those folks who are seeking Roanoke out strictly for its own craft beer culture, especially as it continues to grow.

Recent legislation has allowed Landolt to more easily begin planning his craft beer tours. Virginia Senate Bill 178 allows for operators of such tours to include the cost of the tastings with the tour price.

Private as well as public tours are planned to be offered, giving groups of friends the chance to visit the breweries together, perhaps as part of a family gathering or bachelor/bachelorette party. But in general, the tours will last roughly three hours and visit three breweries, including ones within Roanoke and Salem, such as Parkway, but also include breweries more on the periphery, such as Smith Mountain Lake’s Sunken City. Landolt expects the tours to begin operating in late September.

Visit the company’s Facebook page here, and its website here.