Bell’s Brewery a Finalist for USA Today Travel Award; Online Voting Open Now

From Bell’s:

COMSTOCK, MI . – Bell’s Brewery is very proud to announce that it has been nominated in USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice travel awards – for the second year in a row!

A panel of beer experts again nominated their favorite brewery tours in the United States and now everyone is invited to help choose the winner. Bell’s was named the second best brewery tour in 2019.

“We pride ourselves on storytelling and immersing all guests, no matter their experience level, into the world of craft beer,” said Shelly Claflin, Bell’s Tour Manager. “Our tours are always free, fun and open to all.”

Bell’s welcomes tens of thousands of guests every year. The Eccentric Café and original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo, along with its main brewery seven miles east in nearby Comstock, are destinations for craft beer fans from around the world.

“Placing second in 2019 was an incredible reflection of the experiences our guests have had, but that didn’t not mean we were going continue with the status quo. We got to work and made even more enhancements,” Claflin said.

Those enhancements include the addition of a 50-foot timeline detailing Bell’s history, a selfie station and a pop-up retail shop where guests can purchase Bell’s merchandise. Many of those items can only be purchased at Bell’s Comstock Brewery.

Visitors can also see the original 15-gallon soup pot Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s, used when he began brewing in 1985. It is a remarkable contrast to the 200-barrel brewhouse that sits nearby, showing what dedication, quality and the best fans in the industry can help accomplish.

“We are delighted to learn Bell’s is being considered for the Best Brewery Tour again this year,” said Greg Ayers, President & CEO for Discover Kalamazoo. “Bell’s continues to be one of the primary reasons people visit the Kalamazoo region. No trip to Kalamazoo is complete without a Bell’s Brewery tour, as well as a visit to the Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo.”

Fans can vote once per day for the duration of the contest here. Voting ends Tuesday, March 17. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 27, just four days after Bell’s flagship summer beer, Oberon, returns for another season.

“Those looking for an amusement ride for your beer-loving senses won’t be able to find a better experience than at Bell’s,” said John Liberty, general manager at West Michigan Beer Tours. “Your nose will ooh and ahh at the aroma of Centennial hops. Tour guests can gawk at the height of the 800-barrel fermentors and stretch their math limits calculating the amount of spent grain produced there daily. Best of all: It’s free, including samples. You don’t have to buy a ticket – just take the ride.”

About the Bell’s tour program

Free tours are held Wednesday through Sunday at Bell’s main brewery in Comstock and on weekends at its original downtown Kalamazoo brewery. Specialty tours are also offered throughout the year. Examples include a Hopslam and Two Hearted focused tour as well as special Reach for the Sun tours on Oberon Release Day. These specialty tours are limited and sell-out fast.

Each Bell’s brewery tour covers the history of Bell’s and brewing throughout the years in addition to sustainability, packaging, ingredients, quality and more.

Free tours can be reserved at bellsbeer.com.

For more information and for updates, keep an eye on Bell’s website, bellsbeer.com​, or join them on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Untappd.

ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY

Bell’s Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we’ve grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 550 people over a 41 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Café. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. 100% family-owned and independent, we strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and lagers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com.