We got there mid-afternoon, ditched the laptops, and traded our badges for tasting glasses and a tour through the brewery. The first thing you notice is the smell. That warm, bready malt smell that immediately puts you in a good mood. Our guide gathered us up and clearly knew exactly what kind of group he was dealing with, because he didn't waste any time getting us moving.

The tour started with the basics. Water, malt, hops, yeast. Four ingredients, and somehow endless beers. The tour guide walked us through the mash, where the grain meets hot water and the sugars get going. We asked a lot of questions and got to learn a lot about the history of beer and of the finer points of beer tasting. 

And then, the part everyone had been politely not mentioning: the tasting. We worked through the lineup, from an easy session beer that disappeared way too fast to a proper hoppy IPA. There was a dark roasty one too that tasted like coffee and chocolate had teamed up. Naturally a small debate broke out about whether hazy IPAs are brilliant or just chaos in a glass. No conclusion was reached. 😌

After the tour, we got to sample a few more beers and really enjoyed them too. We wrapped up the evening on a high note and had a really great time together! 🍻☀️