Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour

Beer brings Brooklyn together. This three-and-a-half-hour brewery tour links three very different beer makers, from farmhouse ales and hazy IPAs to New York farm-brewed specialties. I like the mix of guided access and tasting time, plus the snacks and subway MetroCard included in the $99 price. I also like the small maximum of 15 people, which gives the guide a better chance to answer questions.

The main drawback is the price and the moving schedule. You are paying for a full afternoon of tastings, local transportation, and a guide, not simply three drinks at three bars. The route can also change, and one booking was canceled two days before departure when the tour could not be rebooked.

Key Points At A Glance

• Three breweries in about 3 hours 30 minutes: The stops cover Wild East Brewing Co, Five Boroughs Brewing, and Big aLICe Brewing.
• A small group capped at 15 people: The format should feel more personal than a large bus outing.
• Subway fare and snacks are included: You do not need to sort out MetroCard costs during the route.
• Different beer styles at each stop: Expect farmhouse ales, hazy IPAs, barrel-aged sours, pilsners, gose, hoppy lager, and farm brewery specialties.
• Five Boroughs includes production access: The visit can include three brewhouses, a quality lab, and the large taproom.
• Strict brewery safety rules apply: You need a valid ID, closed-toe shoes, and a moderate level of physical fitness.

What Your $99 Covers

At $99 per person, this is not a cheap pub crawl. I would compare it with the cost of buying several beers independently, paying subway fares, and arranging your own route between three breweries. The tour also includes snacks, a MetroCard, tastings at all three breweries, and a guide to keep the afternoon moving.

That package makes better sense if you want structure. Brooklyn’s beer scene is spread across different neighborhoods, and planning three brewery visits on your own can take more time than expected. You may spend part of your afternoon checking opening hours, figuring out subway connections, and deciding how much to drink at each stop. Here, the route and transportation are handled for you.

The value depends on your interest in beer itself. If you only want a casual drink, $99 is a lot. If you enjoy hearing how beer is made, comparing breweries, and seeing production spaces that may not be part of an ordinary taproom visit, the cost is more reasonable.

The 4.7 rating from 31 reviews, along with a 94 percent recommendation rate, points to a strong overall experience. Still, the numbers should not hide the practical risk of a minimum-number cancellation. The provider can cancel after confirmation if too few people book, offering another date, another experience, or a full refund.

Starting At Sound + Fury Brewery And Kitchen

You meet at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen at 141 Lawrence Street in Brooklyn. Arrive at least 10 minutes early. That is especially important here because the tour depends on a group moving through several stops, and a late arrival can be hard to absorb.

The meeting point is near public transportation, which fits the design of the tour. You are not expected to drive from brewery to brewery, and the included subway MetroCard removes one small but useful expense. Keep your phone ready for the mobile ticket, but bring physical identification as well.

The tour is in English and is limited to 15 people. That size should make it easier to ask about hop varieties, fermentation, aging, or the differences between beer styles without having to compete with a crowd. A six-person group once had guide Eddi Davila and finished the outing feeling like friends. That is a good sign for anyone who prefers conversation over a scripted procession.

Your guide matters a great deal on a tour like this. The breweries provide the setting, but the guide connects the stops and helps you notice why each producer works differently. Eddi Davila received especially warm praise for bringing a small group together, so if he is leading your departure, expect a friendly social tone.

Wild East Brewing Co: Farmhouse Ales And Barrel-Aged Sours

Wild East Brewing Co is the first listed brewery stop, with about 50 minutes set aside. Its beer program centers on farmhouse ales, hazy IPAs, and barrel-aged sours, giving you an early taste of the range found in Brooklyn’s independent brewing scene.

This is a useful first stop because the styles are broad. Farmhouse ales can show a drier, more rustic side of brewing, while hazy IPAs are often fuller and hop-forward. Barrel-aged sours bring another direction entirely, with time and aging playing a larger role in the final flavor.

You should treat the 50 minutes as a focused introduction rather than a long afternoon at one taproom. The point is to taste, listen, and compare. If you already know your favorite beer style, this stop may push you toward something outside your usual order.

Because the tour is called an underground brewery tour, it is worth setting your expectations correctly. The supplied details describe a brewery route around Brooklyn, not a literal subterranean attraction. The underground element is best understood as access to the city’s working beer culture, including places you might not choose on a first visit.

Five Boroughs Brewing: The Most Detailed Brewery Visit

Five Boroughs Brewing in Sunset Park is the most production-focused stop on the route. The brewery makes four core beers year-round: IPA, pilsner, gose, and hoppy lager. That lineup gives you a clean way to compare familiar styles with less common options.

The visit can include access behind the scenes, with three brewhouses shown at different scales. One is production-sized, while another is a 1 BBL pilot system used for smaller experiments. You may also see the brewery’s quality lab, then spend time in a taproom with room for 150 people, multiple draft lines, a stage, special events, and a retail shop.

That range matters. You are not only tasting finished beer. You are getting a look at how a brewery handles regular production, small-batch work, and quality control. For anyone curious about the business side of beer, this may be the strongest part of the afternoon.

Sunset Park also adds a neighborhood change to the route. The brewery’s name reflects a citywide idea, with people connected to the operation coming from all five boroughs. You get a sense of a local company serving a broad New York audience rather than a tiny tasting room with only a few taps.

The possible drawback is that production spaces are working environments. You need to follow safety instructions, wear closed-toe shoes, and have a moderate level of physical fitness. This is not designed as a completely effortless bar visit.

Big aLICe Brewing: Local Ingredients And Farm Connections

Big aLICe Brewing gives the tour another point of view. It is a licensed New York State farm brewery, with a focus on organic and local ingredients. The brewery works with New York hop farmers and maltsters, and it collaborates with other nearby businesses for specialty ingredients.

That local sourcing is more than a slogan. It connects the beer in your glass with farms, growers, and suppliers in the state. If you like knowing where ingredients come from, this stop adds useful context to the tasting portion.

You may also notice a contrast with Five Boroughs. Five Boroughs offers a large operation with multiple brewhouses and a quality lab. Big aLICe’s identity centers more clearly on local agriculture and regional partnerships. Together, the two stops show different ways a New York brewery can define itself.

About 50 minutes is scheduled here as well. That is enough time for a guided visit and tasting, but it does not leave room for an unhurried evening at every location. I would arrive ready to keep moving and save any serious shopping or extended taproom time for another day.

How The Route Works Across Brooklyn

The tour lasts about three hours and 30 minutes, with roughly 50 minutes at each of the three breweries. The remaining time is used for moving between stops, explanations, and the beginning and end of the experience.

A subway MetroCard is included, which is a practical benefit rather than a flashy one. Brooklyn is large, and the route connects places that are not next door to one another. You still need to be prepared for walking, stairs, and standing during transfers, which helps explain the moderate fitness requirement.

The route begins and ends at the same meeting point at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen. That makes your return simpler and avoids the problem of finishing in an unfamiliar neighborhood with your plans scattered across the city.

The schedule can change. Brewery operations, group size, weather, or local conditions may affect the order of stops. I would avoid booking a tight theater reservation or airport transfer immediately after the tour.

Small Group Benefits And Social Style

A 15-person maximum is one of the strongest features here. Smaller groups make it easier to hear the guide, ask questions, and stay together while moving between breweries. They also make introductions less awkward, especially on a beer outing where the social side is part of the appeal.

The best account of the experience involved only six people and guide Eddi Davila. The group reportedly finished as friends, which tells you something about the tone the tour can take when the numbers are low. You should not assume every departure will have the same chemistry, but the format gives it a fair chance.

This tour suits people who enjoy meeting others. It may be less appealing if you want to sit quietly with one drink, choose every beer yourself, and set your own pace. The guide controls the timing, and the group moves together.

Pre-gaming is strictly forbidden. Anyone who arrives visibly intoxicated can be refused entry without a refund. That rule is sensible in brewery production areas, where good judgment and safe movement matter.

What To Bring And Wear

Bring a non-expired state ID if you are a US citizen. If you are visiting from another country, bring your passport. The minimum age is 21, with no exceptions.

Closed-toe shoes are required. Open-toed footwear is not allowed because of safety concerns in brewery settings. Wear clothing suitable for all weather, since the tour operates in rain or other conditions unless the provider cancels because of poor weather.

You can request a vegetarian snack option when booking. Do not wait until the tour begins to mention it, since the request needs to be made in advance.

A mobile ticket is accepted, but I would keep your phone charged and arrive early. The tour is offered in English only.

Cancellations And A Note Of Caution

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not refunded, so check your plans carefully.

The provider can also cancel for poor weather or because the minimum number of participants is not reached. In that case, you should be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

There is one real warning here: a booking was canceled two days before the scheduled outing, and the person could not find an alternative at such short notice. That does not make the tour a bad choice, but it does mean you should avoid building an important travel day around it. If the tour is essential to your plans, ask about operating status before committing to nonrefundable reservations nearby.

Who Should Book This Brooklyn Beer Tour?

I would recommend it to beer fans who want more than a list of taprooms. The three stops cover different ideas: Wild East focuses on varied beer styles, Five Boroughs offers a look at production scale and quality control, and Big aLICe brings in New York farming and local ingredients.

It also suits visitors who prefer a guide, enjoy meeting new people, and do not want to plan subway connections across Brooklyn. The included snacks and MetroCard make the cost easier to accept, particularly if you would otherwise pay for transport and several tastings separately.

I would think twice if you dislike group schedules, have limited mobility, or want to drink heavily. The outing requires moderate fitness, safe behavior, and closed-toe shoes. The stops are tasting visits, not open-ended bar sessions.

Final Verdict: Worth $99?

I think this is a good buy for a small group of curious beer drinkers. You get three breweries, a useful spread of styles, behind-the-scenes access at Five Boroughs, local sourcing at Big aLICe, snacks, subway fare, and a guide who can turn separate stops into one coherent afternoon.

The price is fair when you value the planning and access included. It is less attractive if you would rather order a few beers at one taproom or explore independently. Book it with some flexibility in your schedule, arrive sober and early, wear proper shoes, and treat the outing as a guided introduction to Brooklyn beer rather than a free-form pub crawl.

FAQ

How long does the Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

How many breweries are included?

The experience includes tastings at three breweries: Wild East Brewing Co, Five Boroughs Brewing, and Big aLICe Brewing.

Is transportation included?

A subway MetroCard is provided. The tour begins and ends at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen at 141 Lawrence Street in Brooklyn.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 21, with no exceptions. US citizens need a non-expired state ID, while international visitors need a passport.

What should I wear?

Closed-toe shoes are required. You should also dress appropriately for the weather because the tour operates in all weather conditions unless canceled for poor weather.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience begins. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded.