London York Tadcaster Edinburgh
Venturing into timeless back streets, we'll search out London's historic pub
scene, sipping our way through many of the local cask-conditioned ales. We'll
dine at Charles Dickens' favorite chop house, "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese," notable
for having survived the reigns of 16 British Monarchs, as well as those of some of
London's most famous and infamous literary lions. A tour of Young's Brewery
will round out our London experience.
Without question, one of the highlights of this tour will be a visit to the
legendary Samuel Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, England, considered by many to be the epiphany of craft beer
experiences. This historic, family-run brewery still makes their own wooden
barrels and ferments their extraordinary brews in ancient square fermentors made from stone slabs, called Yorkshire
squares - one of only a few breweries in the world still doing so.
A special visit to the Black Sheep Brewery in nearby Masham will enlighten us as to brewing traditions
kept alive for five generations.
In Edinburgh, we will discover a city famous
for its colorful pubs, and visit some of the most intriguing of them, like the
Digger's Pub, ensconced between two cemeteries and a long-time favorite of, yes, the local
gravediggers. We'll visit the local Caledonian Brewery, rated one of the top
eight breweries in the world and the only Scottish brewery with direct-fired
(and open) brewing coppers. We'll also take time to sample a single-malt scotch or two before we end our tour with a visit to Scotland's
oldest inhabited house, the Traquair House circa 1100, once a pleasure ground
for Scottish kings. Mary Queen of Scots sipped ale here in 1566, as did Bonnie
Prince Charley in 1745. In 1965, the original brewhouse was renovated - after a
two hundred year hiatus - so we will taste a bit of history when we visit this
romantic destination.
Itinerary at a Glance
Tour Dates - June 16-24, 2000
- June 16 Arrive London
- June 17 London
- June 18 London, train to York, Settle
- June 19 York, Tadcaster, Settle
- June 20 Settle, train to Edinburgh
- June 21 Edinburgh
- June 22 Edinburgh, day trip to Traquair
- June 23 Edinburgh
- June 24 Depart Edinburgh
Tour Dates - October 6-14, 2000
- Oct 6 Arrive London
- Oct 7 London
- Oct 8 London, train to York, Settle
- Oct 9 York, Tadcaster, Settle
- Oct 10 Settle, train to Edinburgh
- Oct 11 Edinburgh
- Oct 12 Edinburgh, day trip to Traquair
- Oct 13 Edinburgh
- Oct 14 Depart Edinburgh
Your guides on this tour will be:
* Bruce Wright, Scottish Club, Detroit, MI
A near-native of Edinburgh, Scotland and a chef by trade, Bruce Wright has
taught in the field of culinary arts and currently works for a beer distributor. As Events
Coordinator of the Scottish Club, Bruce organizes annual beer and single-malt
scotch tastings in the greater Detroit area, and is particularly knowledgeable
on the history of Scottish brewing. Bruce is a member of CAMRA and has numerous
personal contacts in Edinburgh. A traveler's favorite is Bruce's own Edinburgh pub
crawl, personally crafted over the course of his 60 previous trips to Scotland.
Local Guides
Native guides are an invaluable source of information. They will provide you
with an insightful introduction to the wealth of culture, history and age-old
customs of their countries.
MIR Corporation, Specialty Tour Operator, Seattle, WA
For the past fourteen years MIR Corporation has been creating unique, specialty
travel programs for people who share a common interest and passion, and want to
explore the world through those eyes. Each of our tours is designed to give
participants an in-depth experience of the cultural and educational aspects of
each country. European Brewery Adventures were created in 1993 and are part of
MIR's "Off the Beaten Path" tour series.
* Specific tour hosts subject to change.