Many enjoy the fine flavor of delicious beer on a warm summer’s afternoon, but few understand how the brew came to be. Now, you can learn. With Samuel Adams’ “Hopfenpflücken Adventure” (Hopfenpflücken means ‘Hop picking’ in German) through the Abercrombie & Kent luxury travel company. Visit some of Germany’s top breweries (with samples of the product, of course), the hop fields where the key ingredient to Samuel Adams beer is grown and more, non-beer related stops like the BMW Museum, medieval Regensburg and the Zugspitze for a great view of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Hops! Photo: Abercrombie & Kent
You’ll dine at one of Munich’s best-known biergartens, Augustiner Keller; visit the Schlenkerla Brewery Tavern in Bamburg to sample smoked beer; tour the world’s oldest brewery, Weinhenstephan Brewery. If you love beer, you’ll love this trip.
The trip is July 31 to Aug. 6, 2009 and costs $2,979 based on double occupancy, $3,784 for solo travelers. Airfare not included. Abercrombie & Kent says if someone tried to organize and book this tour on their own, the price would be closer to $5,400. Visit www.abercrombiekent.com or call 630-725-3400 for more information.
(For more “beer travel” info, read about brew tours in our current Texas Hill Country Breweries article.)
Wow, what a great itinerary. Bamberg is probably my favorite city in all of Germany. I've been to the Schlenkerla Braurei and it's amazing and authentic. Their beer is one of a kind a not at all an acquired taste - most people love it or can't handle it. The smoky bacon flavor is intense. I for one, love it.