Cleveland, Ohio has a thriving craft beer scene. The majority of the breweries in the city are less than five years old, but there are some veterans among them and the oldest of them all is Great Lakes Brewing.

Great Lakes Brewing isn’t just the oldest craft brewery in the area, it is also one of the nation’s oldest craft breweries and if you didn’t already know this, you will know it when you visit and take a tour. The history of the brewery is on display in the Symposium, which is located across the street from the production brewery and is the place where you purchase your tour tickets. The tour is priced low and includes four, 5- ounce samples of beer, so it is an excellent deal.

After you brush up on the history of Great Lakes Brewing, a guide will walk you across the street to visit the actual brewhouse. It’s a very large place, producing around 150k barrels of beer each year. In addition to brewing beer, the building has meeting rooms for private gatherings, so don’t be surprised if you see and hear other events taking place when you tour.

Great Lakes Brewing also has a brewpub adjacent to the symposium and many guests go directly to the brewpub for more beer and food following the tour, or before the tour. You will likely want to, because the samples they serve are certain to whet your appetite for more. There are several classic beers in the lineup that have stood the test of time and a nice variety overall. The samples, though, are perfect to let guests sort out which they like best before continuing to the brewpub.

Breweries number in the thousands and are located across this great land of ours. Most of them are young, but Great Lakes Brewing is one of the pioneers; a brewery that has been brewing delicious craft suds for three decades. It is definitely deserving of a visit the next time you’re in Cleveland, Ohio.