American Craft Beer Tour: East Coast Edition

Take the trip of a lifetime with a beer tour of America’s best craft breweries.

Charter a bus to tour beer-lover hot spots in the USA.

Brewing beer is a huge part of American history. The 1800s saw an influx of over a million German immigrants who brought along their love for beer making and beer drinking. They also brought new brewing yeasts and methods, contributing to growing enthusiasm for beer that would one day become an American passion. Interested in learning more about the USA’s brewing history? Rent a coach bus (the best bus for long trips) and head out on the highway to taste and discover the best beers in the US. We’ve developed an example itinerary to help you plan your trip, plotting out a loop that hits as many must-sip spots as possible. There are so many unique breweries in America that we’ve split up the country into two adventures—East and West. Here are our suggestions for the East Coast.

The American Northeast: Brew Central

Start and end your tour in the northeastern tip of the United States. You’ll find some of the world’s top-rated beers here, so it’s best to split it up. We begin our tour in Vermont, but Bus.com works with bus rental companies across North America and can help you find the operator closest to you. Charter a bus and head to North Greensboro, Vermont, home of Hill Farmstead, widely regarded as the best craft brewery in the world. The Hill family has been operating breweries and taverns in Greensboro for over 220 years, so you know they’ve got the chops to live up to their reputation. Next stop: Massachusetts, where you’ll find the legendary Samuel Adams Brewery. It’s one of the biggest breweries in the country, and offers morning tours so you can sip before heading back on the bus to visit Spencer Trappist, a short drive from Boston. To be considered a “trappist” a brewery has to be operated by monks, on monk-owned land, and only accessible by monks. You won’t be able to see the beer being made, but you can certainly pop into their shop for some sippable souvenirs.

Charter bus rentals for your American craft brewery bus tour.

Take Advantage of a Bus Rental and Tackle NYC Traffic

Parking in New York can be tough. This is where that coach bus rental will come in handy. Your driver can drop you off and pick you up in some pretty densely populated areas like the trendiest of Brooklyn neighborhoods, Williamsburg. Spend a day at the Brooklyn Brewery with a tour and a taste, then visit Torst, a bar with 21 lines of draft artisanal beer and a cellar of over 250 bottles representing the best in American craft beer.

Yeast in the Southeast

When you’re finished with the Big Apple, board that bus and head south to Hopkins Ordinary Ale Works in Sperryville, Virginia. At this point in your trip, the distance between breweries will be longer, so get comfy and plan a few games or prepare a few sing-a-longs to help the time pass. This is where renting a coach bus is really going to come in handy. With available amenities like Wifi, A/C, A/V equipment, and on-board bathrooms, the coach provides the comforts that become necessary on long trips. But don’t get too comfortable! You’ll have to get off the bus to visit Ironclad brewery in Wilmington, North Carolina, Westbrook Brewing Company in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and the rumored to be haunted Moon River Brewery in Savannah, Georgia.

Drive that Bus Rental North Again!

Begin your northward journey with a stop in Atlanta, Georgia. Take a tour of the Sweetwater Brewery or enjoy a beer and a silent monster flick at Monday Night Brewery. Keep the movie theme going at the Asheville Brewery in North Carolina, where you’ll find a vintage movie theater, arcade, and tasting room. While you’re in Asheville, pop into the Funkatorium, Wicked Weed’s taproom entirely dedicated to sour beers. Head back to the Northeast area, making sure to stop at Monocacy Brewing in Frederick, Maryland, and Troëgs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Rent a charter bus for your American craft brewery tour.

Finish in Stowe, Vermont

It’s the end of your trip. You’ve rented a tour bus and driven a loop around the East Coast. You’ve earned one last treat before saying goodbye to your private driver. Stowe, Vermont is a stronghold for some of the greatest craft beer in the world. You’ll want to start at Trapp Family Lodge Brewery first. Yup, it is named after THE von Trapp family of the Sound of Music fame. They serve up Austrian-style beer in an Alpine-style setting. While in Stowe, be sure to visit Alchemist Brewery. Hill Farmstead might be the best brewery, but Alchemist’s Heady Topper beer is widely regarded as the best beer in the world. It’s a little hard to come by because the brewery only sells a certain amount of it at a time. But if you can pick up a few cans (your limit is four packs), your friends will thank you.

Charter a Tour Bus for Festival Season

October is a huge month for breweries, especially in the North East. If you’re lucky enough to have the time, plan your tour to hit a few Fall beer festivals. We recommend the Connecticut Brew Cup in North Haven, CT, Big Brew Sussex Beer Festival in Augusta, NJ, and Cambridge Brewing Company’s Great Pumpkin Festival in Cambridge, MA.

Ready to charter a bus for an East Coast adventure in beer?

Take advantage of having a driver and let the journey become part of the fun. With a charter bus rental, you can visit as many taprooms as you like without worrying about designated drivers. Stay safe on the road trip of a lifetime. Use our easy online booking tool to look up bus rental prices.