01 Apr Exploring Breweries on the Hoppy Trails Brew Bus

Brew buses are starting to pop up all over in cities with a bustling craft beer scene, but the first time we heard of the concept was last summer when we were in New York. A typical brew bus tour consists of boarding a bus with fellow beer loving compadres and then making stops at several local breweries for samples and sometimes a peek into the establishments brewing process.

While we were exploring the Adirondacks, we ventured over to Glens Falls for some fun aboard the Hoppy Trails Brew Bus. This brew bus operates in the Adirondack region and each tour has three to four stops on the itinerary.

And, for you non-beer lovers out there? Don’t fret! Hoppy Trails serves up more than just beer–depending on the tour you sign up for, you will make stops at a mix of breweries, wineries and distilleries. The area has plenty of fantastic options to choose from, so you really can’t go wrong! The brightly colored bus is decked out with a beer trail map on the ceiling, roomy seats, a chalkboard list of the day’s itinerary and a knowledgeable tour guide who will share stories and history of the region with you while en route to your destinations.

Photo by Pure Adirondacks

We joined in on the Summit Tour, which sent us to three breweries and a distillery. Each stop gave us a bit of insight into their history, the brewing or distilling process, and generous samples.

Adirondack Brew Pub

First up on the days itinerary was the Adirondack Brew Pub. The idea for this brewery stems back many years ago after John Carr returned from a European adventure and couldn’t find a comparable beer to the ones he fell in love with overseas. He decided to start brewing similar beers himself, and after years of home brewing and a growing demand for his beer from friends, John opened up his very own brew pub.

At the brewery we were given an in depth tour of the brewing process from start to finish and a couple of samples from the selection of over 25 beers on tap.

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery

Our next stop was the Springbook Hollow Farm Distillery and it just so happened to be their grand opening party. We were given a brief tour of the facility and distilling process, and then we tried a few samples and had the option to purchase a cocktail or three. The remainder of our visit gave us ample time to relax in the sprawling lawn and enjoy and the afternoon festivities.

The distillery focuses on using natural, high quality ingredients and only makes one small batch at a time. They take pride in crafting a handmade product and every step of the spirit creation happens on site in their renovated horse barn facility. We loved the atmosphere of the distillery, especially the outdoor patio and lawn. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy a sunny summer afternoon.

Common Roots Brewery

The next brewery stop of the afternoon was Common Roots Brewery. The idea for the microbrewery formed in 2005 and the doors to their first taproom were officially opened in 2014. With a mix of old world and new world traditions, Common Roots has created over 10 beers.

I love how this brewery focuses on sustainability and supporting the local community around them. They source their ingredients from local suppliers and work hard to reduce their waste stream which helps create a better community for everyone around. And, once again, we got a behind the scenes look into their production process and were given samples of their brews before heading to our last stop for the day.

Argyle Brewery

Last but not least, we made our way to the smallest taproom of the day, Argyle Brewery. While this brewery is named after the town Argyle, it is actually located next door in the village of Greenwich. Why you ask? Well that’s because Argyle is still a dry town so they couldn’t open up shop within the city limits. This is why they came up with the crafty slogan, “Dry Town, Wet Basement”–I always love a business with a good sense of humor!

After grabbing another sample and touring one last brew room for the day, we enjoyed a delicious snack of crackers, jalapeño jam and cheese before heading back to our starting point.

At the conclusion of the tour, we were dropped off in downtown Glens Falls, where our group decided to check out one more brewery on our own and grab a bite to eat before calling it a day. The Saturday tour we went on lasted around 5.5 hours–we started at 11:30 a.m. and finished up around 5 p.m. One of the aspects I enjoyed most about the tour was getting a look behind the scenes at every establishment we visited. It was interesting to see the differences in processes between the various facilities and we were able to see the unique personalities of each location shine through.

To get a peek into the tour through video, check out this fun video Pure Adirondacks made from the tour!

With the delicious snacks, tasty samples, interesting tours and great company, we had a wonderful afternoon on the Hoppy Trails Brew Bus. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day!

Have you ever been on a brew bus? Would it be something you’d like to do sometime?