Book your spot in advance rather than showing up unannounced, since popular breweries often sell out tour slots on weekends and small operations may only run tours a few times a week. Eat a real meal before you arrive, since most tours include multiple beer samples over an hour or more, and tasting several styles on an empty stomach leads to intoxication faster than you'd expect. Arrange a ride home or use public transit rather than driving yourself, since tastings typically total more alcohol than a single pint even though each pour looks small. Ask questions during the tour about ingredients and process rather than just listening passively, since brewery guides are usually passionate staff or brewers themselves who enjoy explaining the differences between mash tuns, fermenters, and conditioning tanks. Taste beers in the order the guide suggests, generally lightest to darkest or lowest to highest alcohol, since drinking a strong stout first can numb your palate and make lighter beers afterward taste bland. Bring a bag or box for bottles if you plan to buy some to take home, since many breweries sell limited or taproom-only releases that aren't available anywhere else, and forgetting packaging means awkwardly juggling bottles on the way out.
