City Brew Tours offers unforgettable all-inclusive tours and beer-focused experiences in some of the best beer cities throughout North America. With over a decade of experience, City Brew Tours has created the ultimate craft beer experience that blends history, beer knowledge, transportation, and great food with unrivaled access to an area’s top breweries and their beer.
Our mission is to be the leading curator of craft beer experiences for visitors, locals, and the community as both an ambassador and an advocate for the brewing industry.
Where we began
CBT was founded in Burlington, VT by Chad Brodsky in 2008. Chad was barely old enough to drink when he had purchased his first van on Craigslist for $3000 from a minister in NH. He had just returned from studying abroad in Vienna, where he was first exposed to the wonderful and eclectic world of craft beer. It was on this trip that he also purchased his first pair of lederhosen, which would become the original beer guide uniform.
With guidance from the late craft beer luminary, Greg Noonan, founder of Vermont Pub and Brewery, Chad was able to establish the first East Coast brewery tour company when he was 21. VPB would be the first brewery to open their doors to Burlington Brew Tours. The company received much notoriety for its unique tours that were led by beer geeks as designated drivers. After perfecting the business model in VT, Chad decided to leave his full-time job as a financial analyst in 2012 and open up Boston Brew Tours. With two cities under his belt, the name Burlington Brew Tours no longer made sense and it was changed to City Brew Tours.
Chad then expanded tour operations into other beer-drenched cities: Washington DC in 2014, Philadelphia in 2015, and Baltimore in 2016. It wasn’t until late 2017, when Chad could no longer manage the task of running 5 cities alone, that he brought on Barry Hansen Jr as his partner and COO to help streamline logistics and expand the company. Barry had been a part-time guide at City Brew Tours DC for 3 years prior to joining the executive team. Barry used his education in leadership and biotechnology to enter the brewing sector. He had brewed commercially at Capitol City Brewing Co. and Freedom Craft Brewery before joining City Brew Tours.
CBT continues to expand to other cities: Pittsburgh, PA in 2017 and most recently New York City in 2018. Click Here to see an up-to-date list of locations
Team
Chad Brodsky
Founder & CEO – Certified Cicerone®
Chad has always been an entrepreneur. As a child, he started businesses that ranged from convincing his peers to buy other people’s business cards to shoveling his neighbors’ driveways. Chad decided to buy his brother a Mr. Beer kit for his birthday as he thought it would be a great brother bonding experience. The first beer they ever brewed was a Nut Brown Ale, which didn’t turn out great. Between home brewing with his brother and spending a semester studying in Austria, Chad’s passion and excitement for flavorful beer grew immensely. Still not knowing much about craft beer except that he loved drinking it, he enrolled in “Beer Making 101”, an elective which was offered at University of Vermont. After graduating, Chad took a job as a Financial Analyst at a local bank but realized his entrepreneurial spirit was stifled. In 2012, Chad decided to leave his finance job and move to Boston to focus on growing CBT full time. It was in Boston that Chad met his wife, Liana. When not beer touring, Chad enjoys taking his dog, Oliver, to the park, traveling, and trying new types of food.
Chad believes the best way for a person to learn is through experiential education, which is what City Brew Tours is all about! Chad is always brainstorming new ideas on how to spread the gospel of craft beer to masses.
Favorite Beers: Duchess de Bourgogne, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Lost Nation Brewing – Gose, and any delicious Lactose IPA.
Barry Hansen – Chief Operating Officer
Barry was a biomedical engineer when he decided to travel all the way to Australia for grad school. Coupling a Master’s in biotechnology and a Master’s in leadership, his true passion boomed upon return to the US driving him to start brewing professionally in New York followed by Washington, DC. As a part-time beer guide, while brewing in DC, Barry quickly saw the unique potential of CBT. He is now the company’s COO, and a founding board member of the Craft Beverage Tour Operators Association, on a self-driven ever-evolving quest: to be the top curator of craft beer experiences in the world.
Favorite Beers: Firestone Walker – Wookey Jack, Port City Brewing – Ways and Means, Jack’s Abby – Hoponius Union, and pretty much anything made by RaR.
Isaac Bell – VP of Business Development
Isaac is a citizen of the world but calls Virginia home. With a variety of accolades in graphic design, his thirst was never quenched. He quickly realized that being born with a beard was no medical mistake or miracle, just that he was destined for something beer related. Taking on the role of VP of Business Development, Isaac realized his calling was found, and now wants to bring a City Brew Tour to every city in the US!
Favorite Beers: Hellbender – Double Chazzwazzer, Green Man Brewery – Trickster IPA, Oliver Brewing Company – Burn the Candle & Creator/Destroyer.
Chris Johnson – Customer Success Manager
Chris discovered craft beer when he bellied up to an Amherst bar and took a chance on a Pete’s Wicked Ale while attending Zoomass in the early 1990’s. He’s been hooked ever since. Chris brings with him an extensive customer service and sales background that he utilizes to provide exceptional, white glove service to our guests. When he’s not doing that, a self-professed Boston Sports fanatic, he can be found in Millbury enjoying a New England IPA while savoring the golden age of Boston sports. This recent success has allowed him to silence the sports lambs that scarred his childhood.
Favorite Beers: Tree House – Julius, Greater Good – Pulp, and Cold Harbor – Indian Summer.
Andrew Smith – Private Events Coordinator
Andrew has been a beer guide with City Brew Tours since July 2016 and now brings his particular set of skills to the sales side of the business. He is also an actor, writer, and stand-up comic who just wants people to be happy and drink beer, which seems to go hand-in-hand. Andrew resides in Boston, MA with his lovely wife Alanna and he loves drinking whatever is the weirdest beer on tap, preferably cask-conditioned. Also Mai-Tais, which aren’t beer, but are delicious. If you would like a good one, check out Fantasy Island in Salem, MA, ask for Joanne.
Favorite local beers: Night Shift Harborside, Lord Hobo Consolation Prize, Jack’s Abbey Fire in the Ham, and pretty much anything that’s on cask anywhere.
Todd Summers – Private Events Coordinator
Originally from Chicago, Todd attended college in Burlington, Vermont where his love for craft beer developed. He moved to Boston in 2017 after graduate school and joined CBT not long after! He orchestrates the sales of private tours and events in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. When not doing brew tours things, he can be found chasing his dog around the South End of Boston, doing yoga, and eating and drinking with his loved ones.
Favorite Beers: Anything from Vermont! Lawson’s Finest Liquids – Sip of Sunshine, Magic Hat – Single Chair, Fiddlehead – IPA.
Brian Hatheway – Franchise Development Manager
Brian is a lifelong native of Pittsburgh and has been home brewing since 2011. He loves everything about beer, especially the brewing process. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV series & movies and exploring the outdoors. He also loves hearing a good yinzer accent.
Favorite Beers: Hill Farmstead Poetica #3, Strange Roots Concord Koel-Aid, Eleventh Hour Archer, and Black Project Habu
Kalimah Mustafa – Customer Service Specialist
Kalimah is a purebred Bostonian with an affinity for cozying up with a warm porter on a crisp fall evening. She used to be one of the “I just don’t like the taste” beer-naysayers, but a sip of her first milk stout changed everything. Since then, she has embarked on an exciting journey through the wonderful world of craft beer, which lead her to join the City Brew Tours team in October 2017. Outside of her beer peregrination, you can always count on Kalimah for comic book recommendations and unsolicited lectures on honey bee anatomy.
Favorite Beers: Night Shift – Awake, Fishtown – The Pepper in the Rye, and pretty much everything by Dogfish Head.
Alicia Fitzmaurice – Marketing and Design Specialist
Alicia has a brand-new degree in Digital Media and Design from UConn, and currently lives in New Hampshire. Alicia will enthusiastically point out every dog she sees and is incapable of saying “no” when offered french fries. She spends her days glued to a screen, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. As Marketing and Design specialist, she is responsible for designing exciting content with the goal of recruiting beer enthusiasts everywhere for The Ultimate Craft Beer Experience.
Favorite Beers: Bent Water Brewing – Cosmic Charlie Acid Beer & Smuttynose – Blueberry Short Weisse