Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour

Brooklyn’s beer scene is best understood one brewery at a time, and this three-and-a-half-hour tasting tour gives you a practical way to do that without piecing together subway routes yourself. You’ll visit Wild East Brewing Co, Five Boroughs Brewing, and Big aLICe Brewing, with tastings, snacks, and a MetroCard included.

I like the small-group limit of 15, which keeps the outing more personal than a crowded taproom crawl. I also like the mix of breweries: Wild East leans toward farmhouse ales, hazy IPAs, and barrel-aged sours, while Five Boroughs works on a larger production scale and Big aLICe puts local ingredients at the center.

The main drawback is the schedule. Three brewery stops in different parts of Brooklyn can mean a fair amount of moving around, and the tour may be canceled if minimum numbers are not met or weather causes a problem. Book ahead, arrive early, and bring patience along with your ID.

Key points to know before booking

• Three distinct brewery visits: Taste Brooklyn beer at Wild East Brewing Co, Five Boroughs Brewing, and Big aLICe Brewing.
• A small group of up to 15: The size allows more room for questions and conversation with your guide.
• Subway travel is built in: A MetroCard is provided, so you do not need to arrange transit between stops yourself.
• Five Boroughs offers production access: You may see three brewhouses, a quality lab, and a large taproom.
• Snacks are included: This matters on a three-and-a-half-hour tasting route.
• Strict brewery safety rules apply: You must be at least 21, carry valid identification, and wear closed-toe shoes.

Three breweries, three different Brooklyn beer stories

The best feature here is the contrast between the stops. This is not simply a tour of three similar taprooms where you order another pale ale and move on. Each brewery gives you a different way to think about beer, from farmhouse-inspired brewing to large-scale production and New York farm ingredients.

The experience begins at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen at 141 Lawrence Street in Brooklyn. That is both the meeting point and the end point, so you return there after the final stop. Arrive at least 10 minutes early. That small buffer is useful because a group tour depends on everyone being ready at the appointed time.

The exact order and timing can change. The planned visits allow about 50 minutes at each brewery, with the full experience lasting about three hours and 30 minutes. That is enough time to get a taste of each place, but not enough to treat every stop as a long, lazy afternoon at the bar.

Wild East Brewing Co and the farmhouse-inspired opening

Wild East Brewing Co sets the tone with beers built around farmhouse ales, hazy IPAs, and barrel-aged sours. Those categories give you a broad first look at the brewery’s style, especially if you enjoy beer with more character than a standard light lager.

Farmhouse ales can bring earthy, rustic notes, while hazy IPAs are known for a softer, fruit-forward profile. Barrel-aged sours offer yet another direction, often with tart flavors and a sharper finish. The point is not simply to find one favorite beer. It is to see how different methods and ingredients create very different results in the glass.

You have about 50 minutes here. That is a sensible amount of time for an introduction, tasting, and conversation before the group moves on. If you prefer to linger over one drink, this may feel brisk. If you want variety and a clear schedule, it works well.

This first stop may be especially useful for people who are still learning what they like. You can compare several beer families early in the tour, then use those impressions when you taste at the next two breweries.

Five Boroughs Brewing and the working brewery behind the taproom

Five Boroughs Brewing gives the tour its most detailed look at production. The brewery is led by Blake Tomnitz and Kevin O’Donnell, and its core lineup includes IPA, Pilsner, Gose, and Hoppy Lager.

That lineup covers familiar ground while still offering range. The Pilsner and Hoppy Lager should appeal to people who prefer a cleaner, lighter beer style, while the IPA offers more hop character. Gose brings a tart, distinctive option. You do not need to be a beer expert to appreciate the point: a brewery can serve a wide audience while keeping a clear year-round lineup.

The most interesting part is the chance to see three different brewhouses. One operates at production scale, another supports smaller work, and the third is a one-barrel pilot system. This lets you see how a brewery can test ideas in small batches before deciding what deserves a larger run.

You may also get a look at the state-of-the-art quality lab. That detail matters because good beer depends on more than recipes and branding. Fermentation, consistency, cleanliness, and testing all shape what reaches the taproom.

The taproom itself can seat 150 people and includes multiple draft lines, a stage, special events, and a retail shop. It is a much larger setting than the small-group format of this tour. The contrast is useful: you see both the intimate side of Brooklyn brewing and the systems needed to make beer for a bigger audience.

With 50 minutes scheduled here, the production elements are likely to be the main attraction. You will also have time in the taproom. Still, the tour will not turn you into a brewmaster in one visit. Think of this as a well-chosen overview of how beer moves from pilot batch to production scale.

Big aLICe Brewing and the local ingredient angle

Big aLICe Brewing closes the brewery portion with a focus on local and organic ingredients. It is a licensed New York State farm brewery, and the brewery works with New York hop farmers and maltsters.

That local focus gives the final stop a clear identity. You are not only tasting the finished beer. You are also considering where the ingredients come from and how a brewery can support agriculture close to home. Big aLICe also collaborates with nearby businesses for specialty ingredients, which adds a regional touch to its brewing approach.

This stop is a good counterpoint to Five Boroughs. Five Boroughs helps you understand scale, equipment, and quality control. Big aLICe directs attention toward sourcing and relationships with New York producers.

Again, plan on roughly 50 minutes. The information provided does not specify which beers will be poured or how many samples you receive at each stop, so you should treat the tasting selection as changeable. That is normal for a brewery tour, where tap lists and production schedules can shift.

The small-group format makes the biggest difference

The tour allows a maximum of 15 people, though one praised outing had only six participants. That smaller group was led by Eddi Davila, whose friendly approach helped the group finish the tour feeling like friends.

You should not assume Eddi will be your guide, since guides can vary. Still, the experience gives you a chance to benefit from a guide who can keep conversation moving, explain the brewery visits, and help a mixed group stay together.

A small group also makes practical sense in a working brewery. You can hear explanations more easily, ask questions without shouting, and move through production spaces with less fuss. The benefit is not just social. It can make the tour feel more organized and less like a crowd being herded from one room to the next.

The social side is important, too. This is not a private tour, so you will meet people with different levels of beer knowledge. If you want a quiet tasting with no group interaction, this may not be your ideal format. If you enjoy sharing a table and comparing impressions, the small size helps.

What the $99 price really covers

At $99 per person, this is not the cheapest way to drink beer in Brooklyn. You are paying for more than the beer itself, though. The price includes tastings at three breweries, snacks, and a subway MetroCard, along with the guide and the structure of the route.

That bundled value is strongest if you would otherwise spend time planning transit between breweries. Brooklyn is large, and the stops cover different brewery settings and areas. Having the MetroCard provided removes one small cost and one small decision from the day.

The tour also saves planning time. You do not need to compare tap lists, guess how long to stay, or work out how to connect the breweries. You can focus on the beer and the setting.

The value is weaker if you already know Brooklyn’s brewery scene well and prefer to choose your own pours. You may also spend less by visiting one neighborhood brewery on your own. I would choose this tour for the access, structure, and variety, not as a bargain drinking option.

Snacks are a welcome inclusion. Alcohol tastings over three and a half hours are more enjoyable when you have something to eat, and the snacks help make the pace more comfortable. A vegetarian option is available, but you need to request it when booking.

Getting ready for the brewery route

The start and finish are both at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen, 141 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The tour is near public transportation, and a MetroCard is supplied for the route.

Wear practical clothing. Closed-toe shoes are required because brewery production areas can involve safety hazards. Open-toed shoes are not allowed, so sandals are a poor choice even on a warm day.

Bring valid identification. US citizens need a non-expired state ID. If you are visiting from outside the United States, bring your passport. The minimum age is 21, with no exceptions.

You also need a moderate level of physical fitness. The tour involves brewery visits and subway travel, though the provided information does not give a detailed accessibility assessment. If you have mobility concerns, ask the provider before booking rather than guessing.

Do not pre-game. Anyone who arrives visibly intoxicated will not be admitted and will not receive a refund. That rule is strict and sensible for a brewery setting.

The tour operates in all weather conditions, so dress for the forecast. At the same time, poor weather can lead to cancellation under the stated policy. If the provider cancels because of weather or because too few people booked, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Booking ahead and protecting your plans

The experience is booked, on average, 42 days in advance. That does not guarantee every date sells out, but it is a clear signal that last-minute plans may be risky, especially if you want a particular day.

Confirmation arrives within 48 hours of booking and is subject to availability. Make sure you have confirmation before treating the tour as fixed in your schedule.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes inside that window are not accepted for a refund. Since the tour can also be canceled by the provider if minimum numbers are not met, keep your confirmation details handy and avoid building an important, tightly timed day around it.

One cancellation occurred two days before an outing, and the group could not find a replacement at such short notice. That is a useful warning: if this tour is central to your Brooklyn plans, do not leave all your brewery time for the final day of your trip.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would recommend it to you if you want a guided introduction to Brooklyn beer and prefer not to manage local transportation yourself. It suits people who like tasting several styles, learning how breweries work, and meeting other beer drinkers.

It is also a good pick for a small celebration or a social afternoon. The limited group size gives the experience a more personal feel, and the included snacks keep the tasting from becoming an empty-stomach exercise.

Beer enthusiasts will appreciate the range of subjects: farmhouse and sour styles at Wild East, a production-scale operation at Five Boroughs, and New York farm ingredients at Big aLICe. You will not get a full technical course at any one brewery, but you will leave with a wider sense of how Brooklyn breweries differ.

I would hesitate if you want to stay in one neighborhood, choose every beer yourself, or spend hours at each taproom. The schedule is fixed enough to keep the route moving, and the brewery order may change.

Should you book the Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour?

Book it if variety and planning help are worth more to you than the lowest possible price. For $99, you get three brewery visits, tastings, snacks, a MetroCard, and a guide-led route in a group capped at 15.

The strongest reasons to go are the contrast between Wild East, Five Boroughs, and Big aLICe, plus the chance to see how beer is made at different scales. If you are lucky enough to have a guide with Eddi Davila’s warm group style, the social side may become as memorable as the beer.

Book well ahead, arrive 10 minutes early, bring proper ID, and wear closed-toe shoes. If those conditions suit you, this is a smart way to meet Brooklyn through its breweries rather than simply drinking in one.

FAQ

How long does the Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour last?

The tour lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes.

Which breweries are included?

The planned route includes Wild East Brewing Co, Five Boroughs Brewing, and Big aLICe Brewing. The schedule and order can change.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen, 141 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201. The activity ends back at the meeting point.

Is transportation included?

A subway MetroCard is provided for the tour.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 15 people.

What is the minimum age?

You must be at least 21 years old. There are no exceptions.

What identification should I bring?

US citizens should bring a non-expired state ID. Visitors from outside the United States should bring a passport.

Can I cancel for a 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 accepted for a refund.