Ok, yes I’m a bit of a Beer Snob, and Miller does not normally do “It” for me, but I have indeed quaffed my fair share of Miller products in my time. I’m on vacation this week and yesterday we decided to drive up to Milwaukee and take the brew tour offered by Miller. Well color me impressed. Not only do the guides (who can’t be stumped) give a pretty exhaustive and lengthy tour, but at the end they’re not stingy about the samples either. There really is a Plank Road Brewery (which I imagined as a marketing invention for Icehouse a few years ago) and there really is almost an entire town devoted to making not just Miller stuff, but all my local favorites (Old Style, Blatz, Schlitz, etc are all contract brewed by Miller). The first sample offered was the usually damnable Icehouse, but brewed the day you taste it, it’s (and this is hard to say) pretty tasty. Across the way you get two more “samples” which are really full sized beers and your choice of MGD, Lite, and a full complement of Leinies too. All fresh for the day and dramatically better than what you find in the store…and it costs nothing but time.
Good on you Miller for your goofy and interesting free beer tour. Anheuiser Busch could learn a lot from what you do. Plus the visit to the Safe House down the street made this a great day. Anyone in the area would be smart to spend the hour with the rather humble folk over at Miller.
Do they still give you free postcards and stamp and mail them for you?
Bring a couple addresses with you, the only address I had memorized when I was there was my uncles, who had worked at Miller for 30+ years–he got a kick out of it anyway.
I was awed/impressed by the football field sized wharehouse FULL of beer…
I’m going to have to give that tour a shot. The only tour in Wisconsin I have done is the Point Brewery tour. If I could afford to hire a driver I’d love to do a state-wide brewery tour!
I’ve had the tour of the Miller Brewery here in Albeeny. It really was fascinating to see what all goes on. Plus, as Cluricaun said, they were not stingy with the samples.
I’m also friends with the Brewmeister. Thus, I occasionally score me a free case of beer. I’m tellin’ ya, it’s nice to have friends in high places.
The two times I’ve done the A-B tour, they had samples of everything A-B has a hand in across the globe; Carlsberg and Elephant for example, and a short-term specialty called Bare-Knuckle Stout (the handle on the draft spigot appeared to be a little statue of John L. Sullivan.)
I highly recommend the Sprecher brewery tour (they’re a microbrewery in Milwaukee). You get a closer view of the equipment, and sizeable samples of their very good beer. I think you have to make a reservation to get on their tour, but it’s definitely worth it.
Plank Road Brewery = Southpaw = my favorite beer to drink when I’m in Nashville. My friends down there turned me onto this cheap, wonderful “get drunk!” beer and I wish I could find it here.
