Brewery · the IDYR journal
Not sure whether to book a winery day or a brewery crawl? Here is a quick, honest guide to which one fits your group, and why you might do both.
Both are a good day out. They are not the same day out, and groups that pick the wrong one usually knew which they wanted by stop two. Here is the honest comparison, from people who drive both every week.
Book a winery day if the group wants to sit down, be taught something and take a bottle home. Book a brewery crawl if the group wants to move around, eat properly, bring the dog and possibly the kids, and not think too hard about any of it.
| Winery day | Brewery crawl | |
|---|---|---|
| The pace | Seated, an hour a room | Stand, wander, sit outside |
| Structure | Guided tastings, reservations | Order at the bar, stay as long as you like |
| Food | Boards, occasionally a kitchen | Kitchens and food trucks, nearly always |
| Kids and dogs | Varies a lot by room | Usually welcome, often built for it |
| Group of twelve | Needs booking, sometimes split tables | Rarely a problem |
| Weather | Mostly indoors, works in July | Mostly outdoors, superb in spring |
| What you take home | Bottles, and a club membership you did not plan | Crowlers, cans, a t shirt |
| The drinking maths | Five one ounce pours a stop | Pints, which add up faster than people expect |
The hybrid day is underrated and it is the one we would book for a group that cannot agree. Two tasting rooms in the morning while everybody is fresh and attentive, then a brewery or a distillery to close, where there is food, room to spread out and nobody minds how long you stay.
It works because the two halves solve each other's weaknesses. Wine first, when palates are sharp and the rooms are quiet. Beer and food after, when the group wants to sit outside and stop being organised. The Dripping Springs and Austin corridor is built for this, with Vista Brewing, Dripping Springs Distillery and Jester King all inside a short radius of wine country.
Neither day works if somebody has to drive it. The Hill Country has no meaningful rideshare coverage, the stops are fifteen to thirty minutes apart, and the drive home happens at the end, which is the worst possible time to be negotiating who is least affected.
Book a vehicle with a driver, or book a designated driver to take the wheel of your own car from $250 for a five hour block for the group. Then the only decision left is the interesting one, which is where to go.
Usually, yes, on the drinking itself. A pint costs less than a tasting flight and there is no reservation fee, though a brewery day tends to include food where a wine day often does not. The transport cost is identical either way, because it is the same vehicle and the same hours. If budget is the deciding factor, a brewery crawl with a designated driver in your own vehicle is the least expensive good day out here.
Breweries, for twelve or more. There is space, nobody needs a seating plan, food is on site, and you are not asking a tasting room to seat a party it was not built for. Wineries handle large groups perfectly well when you book ahead, but that is the difference: one needs planning and the other does not.
Yes, and it is often the best answer for a mixed group. Two tasting rooms in the morning, then a brewery or distillery to finish where there is food and space. Do it in that order. Arriving at a seated wine tasting after three pints wastes both the wine and the person pouring it.
Many of them are, and it is one of the real differences between a taproom and a tasting room. Outdoor space, food, and a relaxed attitude to both children and dogs are common. It varies by property though, so check the specific taproom before you build a family day around it.
Three, same as wine, but for a different reason. Breweries encourage lingering, and a good taproom will hold a group for ninety minutes without anybody noticing. Plan three and be happy if you only make it to two and a half.
Rarely for a normal group, which is a large part of the appeal. Very large parties and private spaces are worth a phone call, and food trucks keep their own hours, so it is worth checking who is cooking on the day you go.
Keep reading
Which corridor, how many stops, what it costs.
WineThree quieter stops and a loop that works.
ToursVista Brewing, Dripping Springs Distillery, Jester King.
ServiceFrom $250 for five hours, for the whole group.
Tell us who is coming and we will build a day that keeps everybody happy, then drive it.