Wine & Mead Tasting, Distillery and Brewery Tour with Lunch

Arizona pours its own story. This seven-hour outing from Laughlin takes you to Kingman for mead, wine, craft spirits, beer, and lunch, with a small group capped at 12 people. I like the mix of family-run producers and the easy pickup service, and I especially like that you get more than tastings: you also see how spirits are made.

The main catch is the driving. About two hours are set aside for transportation, and the experience begins in Laughlin, not central Las Vegas. The wine stop may appeal less to you than the distillery, and the brewery experience can depend on your taste in beer.

Key points at a glance

• Ancient mead with modern flavors: Hive Five Meadery pours honey wine in choices such as mango, black cherry vanilla, and chocolate-covered strawberry.
• A real distillery visit: Desert Diamond includes a behind-the-scenes look at how rum and vodka are made.
• Lunch is included: Depending on the day, you eat at Sirens Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery.
• Route 66 connection: The first stop sits on Route 66 in Kingman, giving the day a strong local flavor.
• Small group format: The vehicle carries no more than 12 people, with bottled water and air conditioning provided.
• Good guide potential: Guides including Michael, Wil, and Kevin have been praised for their hosting, local knowledge, and flexibility.

A tasting day built around Kingman

This is not a Las Vegas Strip food tour. It is a full-day road outing from Laughlin into northwestern Arizona, where small producers make drinks with a strong sense of place.

The tour starts at 9:00 a.m. Pickup is offered at the New Pioneer Hotel and Casino, Regency Casino, and other Laughlin locations. The provided meeting information lists Laughlin as both the start and end point, so confirm your exact pickup spot when you book.

The $230 price includes transportation, lunch, bottled water, and alcoholic tastings. That makes the cost easier to understand than a simple tasting-room visit. You are paying for a full day of transport, several stops, a distillery tour, and a guide who handles the driving while you sample drinks.

I would treat the two-hour transport allowance as part of the experience rather than dead time. Your guide may share information about the area along the way, and Michael and Wil have both been praised for keeping conversation going and answering questions.

Hive Five Meadery and Cella wines

The first stop gives the tour its most unusual drink: mead.

Hive Five is described as Mohave County’s first and only meadery. Mead is honey wine, an ancient style that many people have never tasted. Here, it is not presented as one plain, sweet drink. The lineup includes modern flavors such as mango, black cherry vanilla, and chocolate-covered strawberry.

That variety matters. If you assume mead will taste like syrup, the flavored pours may change your mind. If you prefer dry wine, you may want to ask about the full range before deciding what to buy.

Hive Five also serves up to four wines from Cella Winery and Vineyard. The grapes come from the oldest vines in Kingman, where more than four acres and seven varieties are grown. The wines are made locally in oak barrels.

I like this pairing because you can compare two very different local products in one stop. Mead gives you honey, fruit, and dessert-like notes, while the Cella wines offer a more familiar route into Kingman’s wine production.

The tasting lasts about 90 minutes, making it the longest single stop on the day. That gives you time to ask questions and shop if something catches your attention. One point to keep in mind is that this part may not satisfy every palate equally. One person described the wine and mead portion as only so-so, while others enjoyed the range and the explanation of how mead is made.

The practical lesson is simple: come with curiosity rather than a fixed idea of what you want to drink. Mead is the reason this stop feels different from a standard winery visit.

Desert Diamond Distillery near Kingman Airport

The second stop moves from fruit and honey to spirits.

Desert Diamond Distillery is identified as Arizona’s oldest craft distillery. Its location near Kingman Airport is described as inconspicuous, which is part of the charm. This is not a polished resort attraction. It is a working small operation where you can see the production process and learn how hand-crafted rum and vodka are made.

The tour includes a behind-the-scenes look at the distillery and a visit near the aging barrels. Tastings focus on premium rum and vodka, with agave rum receiving special praise. You may also sample flavored oils and vinegars, which adds an unexpected food element to the stop.

The distillery is family-run, and that shapes the experience. Questions are welcomed, and the setting allows for a direct explanation of the work involved in producing and aging spirits. If you enjoy asking how ingredients become a finished bottle, this is likely the strongest stop on the route.

There are also a few useful souvenirs. The distillery has given visitors small shot glasses, and purchases can be wrapped in bubble wrap for the journey home or a flight. It also sells pieces of old oak barrels for charcoal grilling or smoking. Those details make the stop feel connected to the production process rather than just a place to taste and leave.

You should pace yourself here. This is the second alcohol stop, and beer and lunch still follow. Tastings can add up quickly during a day like this, so take advantage of the water in the vehicle.

Lunch at Sirens Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery

Lunch is included, but the exact location depends on the day of the week.

On some departures, you eat at Sirens Cafe, which has been praised for fresh sandwiches, salads, and lemon pasta salad. It is next to Black Bridge Brewery, so the meal and beer stop can work as one easy section of the day.

On other days, lunch is at Grand Canyon Brewery. The supplied details do not provide a full menu there, so you should think of the restaurant choice as a scheduling detail rather than a reason to book or avoid the trip.

Sirens Cafe sounds like the better fit if you want a straightforward, filling meal between tastings. Sandwiches and salads offer a useful break from drinks and give you something substantial before the final stop.

The meal lasts about 90 minutes when paired with the lunch portion of the route. That slower pace helps. This is not a series of rushed ten-minute samples. You have room to eat, talk, and reset before the brewery.

Black Bridge Brewery and its broad beer selection

Black Bridge Micro Brewery is the final tasting stop. It is known for brews with less predictable recipes, so the selection may appeal to you if standard lager is not your first choice.

One detailed account described trying a flight of six beers. That is a useful approach because it lets you sample the range without committing to one full pour. The brewery is also described as friendly and relaxed.

The brewery may be the most taste-dependent stop. One person enjoyed the beer, while another did not care for the brewery. I would not book this excursion solely for the beer. Think of Black Bridge as the final piece in a day that includes mead, wine, spirits, and lunch.

Its position after the distillery also means you should keep your energy in mind. By this point, you have been tasting for several hours. Eat the included lunch, drink water, and use the brewery as a chance to compare styles rather than race through the flight.

Why the guides matter

A guide can make or break a day that includes several hours in a van. The strongest praise here goes to Michael and Wil, with Kevin also receiving positive comments.

Michael has been described as organized, friendly, and able to answer questions about both the drinks and the area. Wil has been praised for his energy, local information, and care in making the day feel personal. One particularly useful detail is that Wil made an extra call to find a stop with postcards and plants for people who wanted them. That suggests a guide who pays attention to what you enjoy, not just the printed schedule.

Kevin was praised as a top-notch guide even by someone who found the wine and brewery stops less appealing. That is important. A strong host can keep the day enjoyable even when one tasting is not your favorite.

Because guides can vary by departure, you should not assume you will get a specific person. Still, the overall pattern points to guides who do more than drive from stop to stop. They explain the region, keep the group moving, and help turn a scheduled outing into a more relaxed day.

Transportation, group size, and timing

The vehicle is air-conditioned, and bottled water is included. The maximum group size is 12 people, which is small enough for questions and conversation without feeling like a large bus excursion.

The duration is about seven hours. With a 9:00 a.m. start and a return to the same general meeting area, you should reserve most of the day. The schedule includes approximately:

• 90 minutes at Hive Five and Cella
• 60 minutes at Desert Diamond Distillery
• 60 minutes at Black Bridge Brewery
• 90 minutes for lunch
• About two hours of transportation

Those times are approximate, and lunch location can change by day. The amount of driving makes the tour best for someone who wants a planned outing from Laughlin rather than a quick activity between casino visits.

The pickup information is especially important. Although the experience is marketed in connection with Las Vegas-area travel, the listed start and end point is Laughlin, Nevada. The named pickup locations are the New Pioneer Hotel and Casino and Regency Casino. If you are staying elsewhere, confirm that pickup is available before paying.

What $230 buys you

At $230 per person, this is not a low-cost tasting flight. The value depends on how much you would otherwise spend arranging the day yourself.

The price includes a vehicle, a driver-guide, bottled water, alcoholic beverages, lunch, and admission to the distillery tour. You also avoid finding a designated driver and planning several appointments in Kingman.

I see the best value for people who would otherwise need to rent a car or book separate tastings. The itinerary combines mead, wine, rum, vodka, and beer, which would be difficult to reproduce in one day without careful timing.

The value is weaker if you only care about one category. A serious wine drinker may want a longer winery visit. A beer fan may prefer to spend the afternoon at a brewery. Someone focused on cocktails may find Desert Diamond enough on its own.

The current score is 4.9 from 16 ratings, and 94 percent of people who rated it recommend it. That is a strong signal, though the sample is modest. The repeated praise centers on the guides, the included lunch, the variety of drinks, and the family-run feel of the stops.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to adults who want a break from casinos and prefer local businesses to polished attractions. It is a good match for couples, small groups of friends, and curious drinkers who enjoy trying unusual products.

It also suits people who like learning how drinks are made. The distillery tour gives you production details, Hive Five introduces an old beverage in new flavors, and Cella adds a local wine angle.

You may want to skip it if you dislike long van rides, prefer a single focused tasting, or are not interested in alcohol. The day includes several tastings, so it is not designed for a nondrinker. The brewery and winery may also feel less rewarding if you already know those styles are not for you.

Book ahead if your dates are fixed. The tour is booked an average of 59 days in advance, which suggests that popular departures can fill before your trip.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours ahead are not accepted for a refund, and the minimum group requirement can affect whether a departure runs.

Should you book the Kingman tasting tour?

Book it if you want a full, social day with several types of drinks, a proper lunch, and a guide handling the road from Laughlin. The best reasons are the unusual mead tasting, the hands-on distillery visit, and the chance to support small producers in Kingman.

Skip it if you want a short activity, a focused wine tour, or a guaranteed favorite brewery. The route covers a lot, and not every stop will suit every palate.

For many visitors staying in Laughlin, this is a smart change of pace. You leave the casino corridor, follow Route 66 into Arizona, taste products made close to where you are visiting, and return without worrying about the drive home.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in Laughlin, Nevada, at 9:00 a.m. Pickup is offered at listed Laughlin locations, including New Pioneer Hotel and Casino and Regency Casino.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point in Laughlin.

Is pickup included?

Pickup is offered from the listed Laughlin locations. Confirm your exact pickup details when booking.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts about seven hours, including approximately two hours of transportation.

What is the maximum group size?

The tour allows a maximum of 12 participants.

What drinks are included?

The experience includes alcoholic beverages such as mead, wine, spirits, and beer, depending on the stop and tasting selection.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is included. Depending on the day, it is served at Sirens Cafe or Grand Canyon Brewery.

What is the first tasting stop?

The first stop is Hive Five Meadery in Kingman, where you can taste mead and up to four wines from Cella Winery and Vineyard.

Is there a distillery tour?

Yes. Desert Diamond Distillery includes a behind-the-scenes tour of its distilling operation, along with tastings of spirits.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not eligible for a refund.