Embarking on a guided tour of the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam is an exciting adventure. In between your sightseeing adventures, consider making a stop at one of the many local eateries for lunch and drinks. While there are hundreds of documented styles of craft beer, review a few of the most popular in the following guide to prepare you for your next brewery tour.

What Craft Beer Styles Will You Taste on a Brewery Tour?

1. IPA

This style encompasses a wide range of craft beers, including American, English, New England, and Imperial India Pale Ales. Modern brewers typically make IPAs containing 5-10% alcohol by volume. Higher percentage beers are known as Double IPAs.

This type of beer is usually amber- or dark-colored and can sometimes appear hazy or cloudy, depending on the style. An IPA is typically characterized by a significant hop concentration that adds bitterness to the beverage. You can expect them to have undertones and flavors of citrus, spice, tropical fruits, pine, and berries.

2. Pilsner

A pilsner is like the brother to a lager, which is the main beer style produced by big-name companies. These two types are cold- or bottom-fermented, meaning the yeast eats in chillier temperatures at slower rates to create a lighter and cleaner flavor.

The beer is named after the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, where it was popularized. A pilsner is brewed with Saaz hops, which are also found in this country and named after the Czech city of Zatec. This variety gives it more of a spicy or earthy flavor that you won’t get from a lager.

3. Hefeweizen

This type of German beer is brewed from more than 50% malted wheat. Bavarian yeast strains are also used during fermentation, giving the style a strong banana and clove, vanilla, or bubblegum aroma and flavor. The unique combination of barley and wheat gives this beer a silky, creamy texture.

4. Kolsch

While most beers are either brewed with top- or bottom-fermenting yeasts, there are a few that fall somewhere in the middle. A Kolsch is made using top-fermenting ale yeast, but it is finished off in cold temperatures, similar to a lager. This creates a beer that is light to drink and has a fruity flavor, making it a refreshing beverage after a long day of sightseeing and brewery tours.

If you're planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, trust the guides at Laughlin Tours to provide you with an exceptional sightseeing experience. For over two decades, this organization has provided memorable tours of the Laughlin, NV, region, including excursions to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, as well as Oatman and Route 66. They also host local distillery, winery, and brewery tours for visitors from all over the country. Visit them online or call (702) 420-5345 to book your next adventure.