USA
USA
America makes wine. Lots of it — more than any country except France, Italy, and Spain. But American wine tourism has a reputation problem: overpriced Napa tastings with $50 reservation fees, corporate conglomerates pretending to be family wineries, and Instagram influencers ruining every corner worth photographing. Here's the secret: the interesting American wine isn't in Napa. It's in Oregon's Willamette Valley (genuinely world-class Pinot Noir), Washington State's Columbia Valley (some of the best value wines in the country), Virginia's emerging scene, and Texas Hill Country (yes, really). And if you want to do American drinking right, craft beer is where the revolution happened — 9,000+ breweries making everything from New England IPAs to farmhouse saisons. We focus on the America that drinks like it means it.
Highlights
- Prohibition lasted 13 years. Drinking lasted… significantly longer.
- Hidden bars, secret passwords and entrances disguised as laundrettes — drinking, but make it theatrical.
- From 3% lagers to 12% “what just happened?” IPAs. Subtlety is not always the goal.
- Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and drinks that sound classy but will absolutely catch up with you.
- If you ask for a drink, there’s a strong chance it arrives with ambition.
Why Tipple Tours Goes to the USA
We go to America because the craft beverage revolution happened there and most tourists don't know it. Yes, we're British, and yes, we know American beer used to be terrible. That's exactly why we pay attention now — because American craft brewers created an entire industry out of spite and enthusiasm, and they've spent 40 years getting very, very good at it. American wine regions outside California offer extraordinary value and quality without the pretension. Oregon's Pinot Noir rivals Burgundy at half the price. Washington's Cabernet Sauvignon outperforms much of California. And craft breweries have turned cities like Portland, San Diego, and Denver into pilgrimage sites for beer lovers. We curate American tours that skip the tourist traps and find the genuine article.
American Wine & Beer: From Prohibition to Revolution
American beverage history is essentially two stories: wine's recovery from Prohibition and beer's escape from corporate blandness. Prohibition (1920-1933) destroyed America's wine industry — vineyards were ripped up, knowledge lost, and the market collapsed. Revival came slowly through the 1960s-70s, culminating in the 1976 Judgment of Paris when California wines beat French wines in a blind tasting. American wine had arrived. Meanwhile, American beer consolidated into three corporations making nearly identical light lagers. Then craft brewing emerged: Sierra Nevada (1980), Boston Beer (1984), and hundreds of stubborn brewers who refused to make boring beer. By 2023, there were over 9,500 craft breweries in the US, more than any country on Earth. Today, American craft beverages are a global benchmark — not despite being American, but because passionate people refused to accept mediocrity.
During Prohibition, some wineries survived by selling 'sacramental wine' to churches and 'grape bricks' — blocks of dried grape concentrate with instructions that definitely did NOT explain how to turn them into wine. *Wink wink*.
Weird Facts & Local Legends
The stuff you won't find in guidebooks — because guidebooks are boring.
The Beer Revolution Started in a Garage
Homebrewing was illegal in the US until 1978. President Jimmy Carter signed the legalization bill. Within a decade, homebrewers-turned-professionals created the craft beer industry. Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, and hundreds more started in garages and basements.
Oregon's Accidental Wine Region
Wine experts told David Lett that Oregon was too cold for Pinot Noir when he planted in 1965. He ignored them. His wines beat Burgundy in blind tastings. Now Willamette Valley is world-famous and Lett is called 'Papa Pinot.'
Texas Makes Wine (Seriously)
Texas is America's fifth-largest wine-producing state. Texas Hill Country has over 100 wineries. It's hot, weird, and the wines are surprisingly good — especially the Spanish and Italian varieties that actually like heat.
The IPA That Changed Everything
In 1975, Anchor Brewing made Liberty Ale — effectively the first American IPA. It inspired Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale (1980), which inspired every hop-forward beer since. The modern craft beer industry runs on this DNA.
Things to Do in USA
Beyond wine tastings — the best experiences, local culture, and must-see attractions.
Explore Craft Beer America
From Portland to San Diego to Denver — America's craft beer scene is the world's most diverse. IPAs, sours, barrel-aged stouts — whatever you're into, someone's obsessed with making it.
Our craft beer toursTaste Oregon Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley produces Pinot Noir that rivals Burgundy at a fraction of the price. Family wineries, sustainable farming, and zero pretension.
Discover Washington Wine
Columbia Valley's extreme climate (desert, irrigation, hot days, cold nights) produces intense wines at incredible value. America's best-kept wine secret.
Experience True Crime Tours
Because why drink beer normally when you can drink it while learning about infamous local crimes? Our true crime brewery tours combine hops with homicide history.
Hops & Homicide TourEat American Regional Food
BBQ in Texas, seafood in the Pacific Northwest, everything in New Orleans. American regional cuisine pairs with local beverages better than anyone admits.
Best Time to Visit USA
September - October
Harvest season in wine regions, Great American Beer Festival (Denver, October), beautiful fall weather. The best time for beverage tourism.
May - June
Post-spring bloom, pre-summer heat. Wine country is green, breweries aren't swamped with tourists, weather is ideal.
August
Hot everywhere except the Pacific Northwest. Tourism peaks, prices peak, patience plummets.
Getting to USA
By Air
- Airport
- Multiple — depends on region (LAX, SFO, PDX, SEA, DEN)
- Flight Time from London
- 8-12 hours from London
- Airlines
- British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United, American, Delta — direct to many US cities
- Visa
- UK citizens need ESTA authorization (apply online 72+ hours before travel). Valid for 2 years.
Pro Tip
Internal US flights are cheap if booked early. Consider multi-city tickets: fly into one region, out of another. Southwest and Alaska have good deals for West Coast hops.
Local Tips for USA
Tip everywhere. 18-20% at restaurants, $1-2 per drink at bars. It's not optional.
Craft beer taprooms expect you to order at the bar. Table service isn't the norm.
Wine tasting fees are common ($15-50). Many waive the fee if you buy bottles.
Uber/Lyft are essential for wine country — DUI enforcement is serious and taxis don't exist outside cities.
American portions are enormous. Split meals or prepare for leftovers.
Sales tax isn't included in displayed prices. Add 5-10% depending on state.
USA Travel FAQs
Is American wine/beer actually good?
Isn't wine tasting expensive in America?
Do I need a car for wine country?
What's the drinking age situation?
Can I bring wine/beer back to the UK?
USA Wine & Beer Tours
Explore USA with our expert-led small group tours. From wine tastings to local food adventures, we've got your trip covered.
Hawaii: Solos, Sunshine & Santa Pours
Six days in Hawaii where you arrive on your own, quickly become part of the group and spend Christmas swapping winter for beaches, breweries and a very different kind of festive spirit.
Deposit: £99
Hops & Homicide: A Craft Beer Crawl Through America’s Darkest Stories
Seven days. Multiple cities. Nights that escalate in all the right ways. Travel through the Midwest’s best craft beer scenes while uncovering real true crime stories tied to each location. By day, explore infamous sites; by night, dive into breweries, dive bars and great company. A small-group experience that’s part road trip, part storytelling and part very good nights out.
Deposit: £99
Los Angeles; Lights, Camera, Beer!
Eight days in Los Angeles where you arrive as a tourist and leave as a semi-professional performer, amateur paparazzi assistant and part-time wrestler…all held together by excellent craft beer.
Deposit: £99
Ale-ien Encounters: Beer, UFOs and Cosmic Shenanigans
Chase UFOs, drink excellent beer and question reality as you travel from Las Vegas to Roswell. Expect desert highways, alien bars, late nights and a group that quickly becomes your kind of weird. Part road trip, part beer tour, part “did we just see that?”
Deposit: £99
Florida Man Brewery Safari
Explore the real Florida through craft beer, tiki bars, retirement discos, crystal-clear springs and colourful local characters. Expect sunshine, alligators, frozen cocktails and stories your friends may not entirely believe.
Deposit: £99
