Review: MillerCoors Brewery Tour in Milwaukee

A visit to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also known as The Brew City, is not complete without a tour of at least one of the local breweries. As one of the world's largest breweries, the MillerCoors brewery is an impressive sight. Ten million barrels of beer are produced here every year while the factory runs 24 hours a day.

The MillerCoors Brewery Tour is free and includes three beers and postcards with postage. In the summer, tours are offered Monday through Saturday from 10:30 to 4:30 and Sunday 10:30 to 2PM. In the winter, tours are conducted Monday through Saturday from 10:30 to 3:30. However, the tour schedule can change daily so you should call 800-944-LITE on the day that you plan to visit to make sure one will be available. You can make reservations for groups of 15 or more people for weekdays if you call 24 hours in advance. Keep in mind that Saturdays are the busiest days when planning your visit. The brewery is located at 4251 West State Street in Milwaukee.

The tour lasts for one hour and explains the history of the company as well as the modern brewing process. During the tour, you will watch a video and visit the packing center, distribution warehouse, brewhouse, and the underground storage caves. Three samples are available at the end of the tour at the Miller Inn along with a bag of pretzels. The video is only about 10 minutes and is pretty entertaining.

If you have trouble walking, you may not want to take this tour. It does involve a lot of walking and some steep stairs, but it shouldn't be a problem for the average person. You will also be walking outside between buildings which is something to keep in mind if you plan to visit during the winter.

Our tour guide was informative and funny, but it was clear that his jokes were all scripted. The beer samples were nothing special if you've ever had Miller before but you are allowed to choose yours from whatever is available that day so it is probably possible to try something new. Overall, the tour was average but I believe there are other better brewery tours in the city of Milwaukee which would be more worth your time.