How to tour Columbia's beer scene by bus, bike or your own two feet

During a Famously Hot Columbia summer – and we’ve sure had one – it’s hard not to think about beer.

So, on a particularly hot afternoon recently, we at Go Columbia got to thinking about it even more.

Columbia’s craft beer scene has made a big splash over the past five years, with the city now home to some signature beer events – among them, Colatown Oktoberfest at River Rat Brewery (set for Saturday, Sept. 24 this year), Craft Beer Week and World Beer Festival (January) and others that draw huge crowds.

We’ve had three breweries open in recent years that are today among some of the state’s most recognizable: Conquest (2013), River Rat (2013) and most recently, Swamp Cabbage (2015).

And, there’s a lot more to the craft beer scene brewing in your own backyard – and a great way to discover it is on a tour.

In fact, there are three ways you can discover the beer scene: by bus, bike or on foot.

Each of Columbia’s three big breweries is open for tours, and with the passing of the pint law, which lets patrons sample beer in their tasting rooms, you can drink in a few facts and some great beer all at once.

And, Columbia’s bars are selling all kinds of specialty brews.

So the only question is, what’s the best tour for you? Glad you asked.

Columbia Brew Bus

After the opening of Swamp Cabbage last year, Cameron Powell and business partners Mike deKoclowski and Chris Campbell organized a tour of all three breweries. Now in its second year, Columbia Brew Bus is still rolling.

The 20-passenger bus – purchased from a church, go figure – provides tours Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Public tours pick up outside Liberty Tap Room in the Vista, with whom they’re partnered. Cameron said each tour starts with a tasting flight of four 4-ounce pours of the breweries’ current selections.

“So you’re getting at least 16 ounces of beer at each place,” said Powell. “Often, we’ll get to try a little bit extra because they have a new beer that they just came out with that they want everybody to try.”

The facilities tours are conducted by brewery staff members who take you behind the scenes and explain the process of making their beer.

“Because the brewing process is pretty much the same at all three places, we like to have them focus on what makes their beer different and what makes their system different,” said Powell.

After a Q&A with the brewery staff and a few minutes to browse for souvenirs, like a six-pack or growler full of beer, it’s on to the next.

“We spend roughly an hour and 15 minutes at each stop,” said Powell. “So we’ll do the same thing at all three breweries, hop back on the bus and head back to Liberty Tap Room and drop everyone off. The whole tour takes three and a half to four hours.”

The bus also specializes in private tours, which are popular with neighborhood associations in outer areas like Irmo, Blythewood and Lexington.

“A lot of these people don’t get downtown as much as they might like, so we can take them directly to the breweries and bring them back home,” said Powell.

The next group they’re looking to market to? College students.

“One night a month, we’re going to do a student night. We drop the price as long as they have a valid student ID,” said Powell. “And it’s the exact same tour as everyone gets on the weekend.”

And if you feel a little over-served by the end of the tour, don’t worry, the Brew Bus has got you covered.

“We always make sure people have a safe ride home,” Powell said. “One of our bus drivers is a taxi driver, and we hand out his number in case someone needs it. And we have a list of cab services and ride-share services posted on the bus with numbers for the cab companies and how to download Uber. We always want to ensure that people are enjoying themselves, but getting home safe.”

Cost: $45 ($30 for student night)

Info: (757) 871-8150, columbiabrewbus@gmail.com. www.columbiabrewbus.com

SC Pedal Parlor

Matt Kolbske and Daniel Ritchie are co-owners of SC Pedal Parlor, an eye-catching and eco-friendly 16-seater bike that is best described as a bar on wheels. The two got the idea while living in Milwaukee, bringing the cycle system here in May 2015.

“Our best promotion is just being out and about because when you see the bike, you’re like, ‘what’s that?’ ” said Ritchie.

“We would Google ‘things to do,’ ‘nightlife,’ ‘bar scene’ and there wasn’t a whole lot,” added Kolbske. “This is something to do other than just walking from bar to bar.”

Made and shipped from Amsterdam, the bike, simply explained, is a square bar mounted on wheels with the driver in the center. The driver and 10 of the 16 passengers pedal to propel the miniature trolley along a curated path lined with bar-hopping and good times.

So far, college students, young professionals and the occasional bachelorette party have found themselves using the service for a unique spin on an otherwise been-there-done-that bar crawl. Tours are offered Friday through Sunday and last two hours, with a customizable map so you can choose the places you want to – quite literally – roll up to.

“We work with the group,” said Kolbske. “Different groups like different places. And we have about 20 or so bars that we can stop at.”

Cantina 76 on Main Street, Pearlz and Flying Saucer in the Vista top the list of favored bars, with World of Beer and Moriarty’s rounding out the top five.

To come up with a feasible biking route – especially with Columbia’s steep hills – the two walked around the Vista and Five Points to map it out.

“For example, if someone really wanted to do all craft beer in the Vista, we’d do Carolina Ale House, Hunter Gatherer, Flying Saucer, World of Beer and Twisted Spur,” said Kolbske. “We spread out the stops and try to make it so you spend enough time on the bike, because that’s what you pay for.”

In the near future, look for brewery tours and game day tailgate-related rides.

“When we do public tours, people end up becoming friends and going to dinner with people they didn’t even know,” Ritchie said. “The bike makes people a lot more social. Happens all the time.”

Cost: $20

Info: (803) 302-7750, info@scpedalparlor.com. www.scpedalparlor.com

Self-guided tour

Sometimes, you just want to do things yourself.

And the three big breweries can help you do just that. You don’t schedule a tour; just show up at the tasting room, order a pint, and ask to be shown around. The same system can be applied to all three locations. When the brewery is open for business, giving quick tours is part of their day, so take advantage.

Calling ahead gives you insight to any deals, events or special rollouts they may be having that week or weekend, so you may want to schedule your visit around that. This is your tour, and you call the shots (and pints).

River Rat Brewery, 1231 Shop Road. (803) 724-5712, www.riverratbrewery.com

Conquest Brewery, 947 S Stadium Road, Bay 1. (843) 270-6100, http://conquestbrewing.com

Swamp Cabbage Brewing, 921 Brookwood Drive. (803) 252-0250, www.swampcabbagebrewing.com

So no matter which route you take, or how you choose to travel it, the end result of these tours is the same: a good time.