Grand Rapids has been voted Beer City USA, America’s Best Beer Town and America’s Best Beer Scene in nationwide polls. If that’s not enough to convince you to join the post-BBC17 excursion to Grand Rapids (August 6-7), consider these awesome trip perks:
- Take a Really Cool Boat Ride.
We’ll transport you from Milwaukee to Michigan via the Lake Express High Speed Ferry – an amenity-laden ship that makes the trip in just 2½ hours. You can even arrange to bring your car with you!
- Visit 5 Breweries in 24 Hours.
We’ve picked five craft breweries (out of the 60+ in the Grand Rapids metro) to represent the city’s beer scene. You’ll sample the brews at Perrin Brewing Company, New Holland Brewing – The Knickerbocker, Harmony Hall, Brewery Vivant and Founders Brewing Company.
- See How Beer Drives the Economy
Grand Rapids is the center of Michigan’s fastest growing region – and it boasts one of the nation’s top three economies. Beer is a key driver of our growth, as you’ll see when you visit New Holland Brewing’s The Knickerbocker. It’s not just a 40,000 sq. ft. brewery, distillery and restaurant – it’s the centerpiece of a mixed-used development that also includes residential, retail and commercial space. And it’s one of a number of breweries spearheading revitalization of the city’s historic West Side neighborhood. (See also Harmony Hall.)
- Drink in a Funeral Home.
Brewery Vivant is located in a building that once housed Grand Rapids’ largest funeral home. The owners refurbished the space to exacting environmental standards – it’s the world’s first LEED certified microbrewery. Brewery Vivant specializes in Belgian-style farmhouse beers.
- Elevate Your Expectations for Pub Grub.
Grand Rapids is Michigan’s Best Food City, according to Thrillist. Our breweries work hard to live up to that distinction – and you’ll get a taste of their handiwork via dinner at Perrin Brewing Company. The quality of the city’s food and craft beer (and craft cider, wine and spirits) is a cornerstone of our marketing efforts, which just scored a second-place finish in the Best Food & Beverage Destination Experience category at the 2017 Food Trekking Awards.
- Tour One of the Planet’s Best Breweries.
Founders Brewing Company is Grand Rapids’ largest brewery – and RateBeer.com has ranked it among the top breweries in the world for the past five years. Additional recognitions include six World Beer Cup medals, four European Beer Star medals and three Great American Beer Festival medals. You’ll see and taste what Founders does so well.
- Stay at a Ritzy Hotel.
You’ll spend the night at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton – a Mobil Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond hotel on the banks of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids.
- Enjoy Grand Rapids’ Best Breakfast.
Wolfgang’s Restaurant, a storied eatery in the hip-and-trendy Eastown neighborhood, is a perennial winner of local “best breakfast” awards. You’ll be joined here, as you will at every stop on the tour, by area brewers and/or brewery workers – giving you an insider’s perspective on the city’s beer scene.
- Experience North America’s Best Airport.
If you choose to take a plane back home, you’ll fly out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport, acclaimed by Airports Council International as the Best Airport in North America for its size. The airport will be wrapping up a massive renovation project when you visit, making it even more comfortable and convenient.
- Do It All on the Cheap.
The cost of the post-con excursion is just $25 for citizen bloggers and $50 for all other registrants, plus the cost of your hotel room and return trip. Your ferry ride, meals, tours and tastings are covered. Check the itinerary for particulars.
Just click here to register for the excursion to Grand Rapids!
Still need to sign up for the full conference? Click here and you can add the excursion to your registration for $25/$50 – of course your registration covers all other beer events and sessions.
