I've gone on many beer tours and most are quite enjoyable. But none could live up to the fun and unique style that Mandy brings to beer tours. Mandy has incredible knowledge of beers and the Orlando area.
Her enthusiasm about the craft beer industry and 'barley row' really shine throughout the three+ hours of the tour. It's not a "here's a brewery, here's a sample" style of tour. It's all about the history of the area (going far back before Disney) and up to the date locations up and down the street.
The first stop (Ivanhoe) was excellent and even though there was a private event that evening, the staff were extremely hospitable and the tour was very personal.
The second stop was not at a brewery. At first this seemed confusing, but clearly Mandy wanted the participants to experience something different - it certainly was. It was a "makerspace" at Factur. Not only was the tour outstanding, we learned a lot more than just beer. The operators of Factur were great and a gentleman from Broken Strings Brewery came all the way over to meet us with a couple of crowlers of his local beers. What a surprise!
Each stop after was special and Mandy clearly knows the staff and management of each location. We felt welcomed, offered excellent beers to sample and never felt rushed. Since we were a smaller group, Mandy asked if it was OK to go a bit longer at any one location if we wished. Of course that was fine with us.
Finally, we ended on a particular high note - the last stop not only had a tasting, but a large selection of (bottled/canned) craft beers from all over. So instead of just trying one, we all ended up buying extras to share with the group as well. How cool is that?
We went nearly four hours - again, Mandy ensured everyone was OK with this and I appreciated that we didn't have to follow a strict schedule. This made it even more special and an opportunity that I would easily do again (and I'm pretty certain it's different every time). I also found my first stop next time into Orlando to buy specialty beers and not just the usual at the chain grocery stores. That stop would be GB's Bottle Shop & Tasting Bar on Virginia Drive.
We all shared personal stories and we all connected nicely. I cannot wait to come back and try it again. This is clearly one of the gems of the Orlando community. Thanks Mandy!